WWE's Je'Von Evans talks pursuit of pro wrestling passion, ignoring critics and John Cena honor

WWE's Je'Von Evans talks John Cena, pro wrestling pursuit, more Rising WWE star Je'Von Evans talks to Fox News Digital about John Cena, his pursuit of pro wrestling greatness and more. Je’Von Evans brought his game to the next level across WWE in 2025. He competed for the NXT Championship multiple times, challenged Sami Zayn for the United States Championship on "Friday Night SmackDown," nearly defeated Leon Slater for Total Nonstop Action’s (TNA) X Division Championship, came close to capturing AAA’s World Cruiserweight Championship, competed in the Last Time Is Now Tournament and was selected to appear on the same card as John Cena’s final show. To cap it off, Evans became the No. 1 contender for the NXT Championship as he won the Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge. He was handpicked by Cena to compete in the event. CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM Je'Von Evans speaks during NXT at the WWE Performance Center on Dec. 9, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE) How would Evans describe the year that he had? "It’s insane, honestly," he told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. "I wasn’t expecting all of this to happen so soon. But I’ve been working hard, and trying to prove that I belong here in WWE. And I guess this is the reward. So, yeah, it’s a blessing. I’m honored that this is all happening for me." "Bouncy" is the catchphrase that blares through the speakers when Evans’ music hits. The tall and lanky 21-year-old has the athleticism of a professional athlete with the cutting-edge wrestling prowess that WWE fans have been accustomed to seeing from Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. A casual watcher, or someone who rarely keeps their eyes on pro wrestling , may wonder how someone like Evans got involved in pro wrestling. He could be an Olympic athlete or play any other sport he wanted. The interest in pro wrestling began when he was a child growing up in Greensboro, North Carolina. "I’ve always been watching wrestling when I was younger. And I got an opportunity to train at a very young age," he recalled. "I started training at 13. So, I got an opportunity to train and I took it and ran with it. And, of course, I was still doing track, basketball in school. But I just knew for a fact that I wanted to be a professional wrestler. "Once I got the opportunity, it was off to the races." Je'Von Evans enters the ring during Saturday Night's Main Event at Capital One Arena on Dec. 13, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images) The common theme from those who don’t have the same respect for pro wrestling as Evans does is that it’s "fake" and that no one should pursue it, as well as the potential dangers that come with it. Evans’ passion for it burned deep and he ignored the naysayers. "So, of course, that’s just the normal, ‘wrestling is fake.’ You know, ‘you shouldn’t...

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