Dave Meltzer revealed on the latest episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that Julius Creed, who left WWE on Friday, was once considered the next John Cena backstage.
When Garrett Gonzales asked about Julius and his brother Brutus Creed leaving, Meltzer said Julius was being compared to Cena before he even signed in October 2020.
“I was outright told as they were recruiting, if we get this guy, some of the top guys there, he could be our next Cena, you know,” Meltzer said.
From the start, Meltzer heard from sources in WWE that Julius would be one of the four biggest stars in the company.
“I had people telling me he’s going to be one of the four big stars of the company within the company,” Meltzer said.
But it’s not the first time Julius has been compared to Cena. In an interview with ESPN in 2018, WWE Hall of Famer Gerald Brisco, then scouting wrestlers for the company, talked about Julius, who was still an amateur wrestler.
“He reminds me in many ways of a young John Cena,” Brisco said.
On Friday, the brothers were moved to the alumni section of WWE’s website. They weren’t released, as their WWE contracts expired and were not renewed.
The only title Julius won in his six years with WWE was the NXT Tag Team Championship, which he and Brutus held for 92 days. It took Cena less than three years to go from his SmackDown debut in June 2002 to winning his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21.