Former WWE Referee Recalls Vince McMahon Giving John Cena 'The Green Light'

Former WWE referee Nick Patrick has recalled the moment Vince McMahon made the decision to give the 'green light' for John Cena to become the company's next major star. 

Speaking during a recent edition of Monday Mailbag, Patrick said: "I was there at the [meeting] where Vince informed that John had been given the green light. I'd honestly never heard him make that kind of announcement about anyone else".

He added that it was up to WWE Hall of Famer JBL to get Cena to that next level, saying: "They had a big series of matches and that was [JBL's] job to groom Cena and perfect guy for it, man. [JBL] is one of my favorite big guys to work with".

Cena defeated JBL to win his first WWE Title at WrestleMania 21. The two would continue to feud after the event, culminating in a bloody "I Quit" Match at that 2005's Judgment Day pay-per-view.

Shortly after, Cena would be drafted from SmackDown to Raw, leading to a rapid ascent that saw him become the face of the company for the best part of the next decade.

H/T Wrestling Inc.