John Cena Expands On His Emotions Returning To Raw For Austin Theory Confrontation

John Cena took to Twitter to show his gratitude for the WWE Universe's warm reception as he returned to "WWE Raw" for the first time in over a year. "Last night was the first time I entered the arena and had the thought that it might be the last time," Cena tweeted, reminiscing about last night's appearance. "I'll never be able to put into words how much I love the #WWEUniverse."

Cena was clearly emotional as he made his entrance on last night's episode, speaking directly to the camera, smiling as he looked around the TD Garden, and waving to individual fans in the crowd before United States Champion Austin Theory immediately interrupted him. The Boston crowd gave the love right back to Cena, as most of the fans were on their feet chanting "Cena! Cena! Cena!" as he and Theory came face-to-face. Even Theory noted the fans' "respect" for the 16-time world champ, before running down Cena's career accomplishments and framing his importance in WWE's history as setup for his promo.

Theory proposed a US title match at WrestleMania 39 with Cena, which the wrestler-turned-movie star flatly denied before challenging him to "believe" in himself and comparing the parallels of their early careers. Cena later thanked his "family," pointing to the WWE Universe, and consulted them before changing his mind and accepting Theory's challenge. Cena appeared on "Raw" just hours after wrapping up the first day of filming for his upcoming movie "Grand Theft Lotto," according to a tweet Monday morning. "It's never impossible [to] make time [for] family & loved [ones]," Cena said.