From left: John Cena and Rob Gronkowski.Photo:Michael Loccisano/Getty, Noam Galai/Getty
Michael Loccisano/Getty, Noam Galai/Getty
There’s not an ounce ofJohn Cenathat believesRob Gronkowskican make a planned field goal kick that’s set to take place moments before next month’s Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas.“I’m just going with the math in my head,” Cena, 47, laughed during a recent interview with PEOPLE. “He missed last year. And I think he’s going to miss this year.”
Last year’s attempt — dubbed the “Kick of Destiny”— saw Gronkowski miss wide left. This year, Gronkowski will line up in front of a live audience in Las Vegas and get a do-over.
FanDuel is running a series of commercials ahead of the kick. One ad shows a disheveled Gronkowski aimlessly walking through the desertafter missing last year’s kick. That’s when an unlikely coach appears to take Gronkowski under his wing: Carl Weathers.Weathers, 76, believes Gronkowski can make the kick, while Cena — playing the role of Gronkowski’s “arch nemesis” in a follow-up ad — does not. Fans can either place their free pick with Weathers or with Cena, depending on their trust in Gronkowski’s boot.
John Cena.Kevin Mazur/Getty
Kevin Mazur/Getty
Cena told PEOPLE recently that it was a pleasure to work with Gronkowski, despite his scripted mistrust in the retired NFL star’s kicking abilities. The 16-time WWE world champion said he was excited to meet Gronkowski, having won three Super Bowls while playing for Cena’s hometown New England Patriots and even later enjoying a brief celebrity stint in WWE.
Gronkowski has never officiallywrestled a match for WWE, but madeseveral special appearancesover the years – even once winning the wrestling promotion’s unsanctioned “24/7 Championship” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“He was the WWE 24/7 champion, so now we’re peers as well,” Cena said. “He plays for the Patriots. I grew up in New England, then he transferred to the Buccaneers. I live in Tampa, so we really had a lot to talk about.”Cena said filming the commercials alongside Gronkowski “was a really fun experience.”“And I think that the Kick of Destiny 2, the whole campaign, is very exciting not only for us, but certainly for the fans as well,” theFast Xactor said. “It gives them a lot more interest in the game and makes moments more meaningful.”
Rob Gronkowski.Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
Fans can watch Gronkowski attempt his field goal moments before Super Bowl LVIII kicks off on Feb. 11.
And if there’s a Kick of Destiny 3 and Cena’s put to the test?
“I really do think I could make it,” Cena laughed after a curiously long pause.
“I tend to deliver when the lights are brightest,” Cena said. “Regardless of the circumstance, I go all in and I tend to just be able to deliver when it counts. So, I’d like to think I could make it.”
source: people.com
