John Cena: Brock Lesnar Is The Best In-Ring Performer Of All-Time

John Cena has been called "The GOAT" on WWE television and he's undoubtedly one of the biggest stars in WWE history.

Cena hasn't wrestled in WWE in over a year and didn't show up at Royal Rumble despite his Instagram picture. However, he did watch the event and doesn't feel the audience missed him much based on their reactions.

NJPW Ranbo Announced For NJPW Wrestle Kingdom, KOPW Title Officially Retired

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Cena discussed his Royal Rumble viewing experience and the one performer who really stood out to him.

"I thought the [Royal Rumble] was extra special," Cena told Sports Illustrated. "It was great to be able to watch it as a fan and not endure any fear of missing out and just enjoy the event. And I can say with the utmost sincerity that I believe Brock Lesnar is best in-ring performer that I've seen and I know it's an opinion, and if you want a cool quote, here it is: I think he's the best in-ring performer of all time. I thought his performance at the Rumble was a clinic on how to establish yourself, how to establish those around you, establish the championship, establish the importance of one event. He did so in less than 30 minutes, and I certainly don't have the skill set to do that, and it was awesome to be able to see a masterclass man put on a clinic on what to do and how to do it and I was really impressed with the Rumble."

When asked if Brock is the best ever, Cena didn't back down from his statement.

"I really do think so," he stated. "I genuinely think he has a good understanding of who he is. I think he's the best at when he needs to be dominant, he's the best in situations of jeopardy. He makes people better. He still has a mystique about him that will draw eyeballs to watch him and when he does he never disappoints. I watched from home did not know the result of the Rumble and I thought Brock was gonna run the table and win. I knew the first 27 entrants would be boring, but I knew by 28 and 29 I'd be on the edge of my seat and asking the question, "What happens to the WrestleMania main event now that the No. 1 entrant ran the table and is the champion for the first time ever?"

He continued, "And I love it when a plan comes together, to quote a member of the A Team. You could see how uneasy the crowd was with Brock's dominance and then over the course of time, how it became exciting and how it became riveting and then how it became like must-see and that's who Brock Lesnar is. He believes so much in his presence, and he has such a definable presence you can't ignore him and he never wastes anyone's time and everything he does is special and everything he does meaningful and it's not all selfish. He's one of the most giving performers in the WWE and that is the mark of a true craftsman and a true professional. It was awesome to watch. My jaw dropped when I watched the Rumble."

Lesnar entered the Royal Rumble at number one and eliminated 13 straight superstars before being knocked over the top by Drew McIntyre. McIntyre went on to win the Rumble and will challenge Lesnar for the WWE Championship in the main event of WrestleMania 36.

In a recent interview, when asked if he'd be at WrestleMania 36, Cena stated he would like to earn a spot at the event. You can find his full comments by clicking here.

Get exclusive pro wrestling content on Fightful Select, our premium news service! Click here to learn more.