John Cena’s Hidden Tribute to Undertaker During Doctor of Thuganomics Days

John Cena used a popular reference to The Undertaker in his iconic theme song ‘Word Life’ during his days as The Doctor of Thuganomics.
John Cena had power-packed WWE debut against Kurt Angle in 2002 on SmackDown. But when his raw wrestler gimmick began to fade, he made a huge impact by introducing his ruthless aggression filled Doctor of Thuganomics persona to the WWE Universe.
He had a demeaning rapper gimmick, and wore jorts and different jerseys each week. Moreover, Cena had a captivating theme song ‘Word Life.’ However some of the fans might not remember that it had a small tribute to the legendary Undertaker.
John Cena had an impressive showing against Kurt Angle on his first night on SmackDown. Following the match, he was endorsed by then-WWE Champion, The Undertaker. However, months later when Cena slowly began to transition to his Doctor of Thuganomics persona, he had began feuding with The Phenom.
Possibly taking reference out of a huge feud for the younger John Cena, he paid a small tribute to his iconic rival in his Word Life theme song. In one of the stanzas in his song, The Champ referenced a line to The Deadman, “New Deadman Inc., and we about to make you famous Takin' over Earth and still kickin' in Uranus.”

The 16-time WWE Champion used references from The Undertaker’s Deadman persona and one of his iconic lines, “I’ll make you famous.” The Phenom had memorably used the line against opponents like Triple H, Jeff Hardy and AJ Styles.
In the early days of John Cena‘s rise as a top WWE prospect, he had major feuds with stars like Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar and also The Undertaker. One of their top matches happened at WWE Vengeance 2003. This match was dubbed ‘Old School vs New School’ highlighting the clash of generations in it.

Years later, when John Cena had become a marquee name much like The Undertaker, they met again at WrestleMania 34. In the weeks leading up to the show, The Undertaker did not respond to Cena’s challenge for a showdown at WrestleMania. The 16-time World Champion attended the show as a fan and got word that Taker had arrived in the stadium.
This led to John Cena changing into his ring gear and coming down to the ring. After Elias mocked Cena, Cena was heading back in disappointment when the lights went out, and The Phenom finally reemerged. This led to a squash match between two of the biggest WWE superstars, and The Undertaker put the franchise player to rest with the three count.
Also read: John Cena vs. Triple H: Business Moguls or Wrestling Giants?