Watch John Cena Roast Roger Goodell, Tom Brady, and More at the ESPYs
Photo by ABC / Image Group LA
The ESPYs booked WWE star John Cena to host this year’s award show, and the West Newbury native did not disappoint with his opening remarks.
Cena delivered a hilarious monologue to kick off the evening, roasting athletes and personalities from every corner of the sports world, including LeBron James, Odell Beckham Jr., and yes, even Tom Brady.
The pro wrestler got a laugh from the crowd when he called the Patriots quarterback the “arch nemesis” of Peyton Manning during a bit about the now retired NFL star’s miraculous Super Bowl win. However, Cena also let his allegiance to New England slip when he jokingly called Papa John the love of Manning’s life.
The diehard Patriots fan received the most laughter, though, for his joke about Roger Goodell. While comparing pro wrestling to the world of “real” sports, Cena said that the controversial NFL commissioner isn’t all that different from WWE owner Vince McMahon.
“A maniacal billionaire pulling the strings behind the scenes who uses every trick in the book to manipulate things to his advantage any way he can, something like that is way too crazy for real sports,” Cena said. “Or maybe we have more in common than you think.”
Check out Cena’s full opening monologue below.
