I don't particularly like John Cena the wrestler, but John Cena the person seems like a genuinely nice guy. Props for continuing to be there for the kids in need.

John Cena, if nothing else, a perfect WWE propaganda machine. Vince McMahon has been searching high and low for this guy for 20 years, going through Hogan, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, The Rock and even his own son-in-law....none of them worked out as the perfect clean-cut media propaganda machine he wanted and now he's finally found the perfect lap-dog.
Cena's made a career out of memorizing lines in and out of the ring. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I think it is very commendable that Cena is spending time with sick children. Let's just put that bluntly and succinctly, and while I'm sure that WWE schedules such visits, and they are NOT in fact part of his "spare time", (I'm sure you noticed, Mr. Eck, that when you asked about his heavy PR schedule, that he instantly made a distinction that this particular acitivity was being done of his own free will---despite the fact that you did not imply otherwise--only had mentioned PR schedules)---you can't take away from a good deed that is well done.
However, Cena otherwise sounds like a zombie conditioned to promote WWE in a very narrow context, which is the context for young fans. Your question about the changes to R-Truth's character was a very good one, a lot of good material there for him to answer to, and we only get the wrestling-is-real line. Who believes anymore that wrestling is real? Well, children. Who is Cena catering to? Well, children. Maybe this wouldn't be so disturbing if it weren't for the fact that he spits out the times and places for WWE events like an automated Ticketmaster machine, and the fact that he is visiting sick children in a pediatric ward. As I've said before, one of the reasons I don't like Vince McMahon is because he provably manipulates young children. They are not children to him, but an easily accessed "market", who if he conditions at a young enough age, become mindless drones to his pseudo-wrestling empire.
Again, I commend the man, regardless of motivation, that he is there doing that kind of work. However, as a performer, I find him puerile and insulting, or rather, I find the character he plays which has been designed by McMahon and a team of marketers to be puerile and insulting. I even found that he came off to me as insulting to you, Mr. Eck. You asked a good series of questions. They were not conflagatory or edgy, they were simply good questions from a good wrestling journalist. And he condescendingly seemed to imply that your questions are foolish and answered a set of questions that you didn't ask, as if he were answering questions from a twelve year old that isn't yet old enough to fully understand the complexity of wrestling yet, and thinks it's at least partially real. And Vince is the one using "sports entertainment"? Driving home kayfabe like it's real is wrestling from forty years ago.
Yeah, anyway, I'm only preaching to the choir. The pro-Cena choir will have their own voices, and never the twain shall meet, I suppose.

RESPONSE FROM KE: In all fairness to Cena, I need to clarify a few things. First, am I disappointed that Cena stayed in character and simpy recited WWE talking points? Yes. But perhaps I could have asked better questions. I think Cena approached this interview the way he would any mainstream interview, especially one conducted in the market for the upcoming PPV. He wasn't speaking to the hardcore wrestling fans that frequent this blog; he was speaking to the casual fans who might find this video, which was promoted in The Baltimore Sun's video collection, the Sports home page on baltimoresun.com and in today's newspaper. And on a personal note, I appreciate him doing the interview, because he was on a tight schedule and runnning late for an interview that he was scheduled to do at a local TV station. He could have easily said that he didn't have time to talk with us, but instead he was very gracious.

@ Mr. Eck
I wouldn't get down on yourself for the questions. I thought they were quite good.
The fact that he gave you time when he didn't have to is the same thing as the point that he is doing work, contractual or not, with sick children...we can't fault him for that. I'm sure that Cena the man is a hell of a guy, and I would trust your hands-on judgment that he is. I never want to fall into the category of folks that can't seperate the man John Cena from Cena the performer, which I conversely feel there are several good reasons not to enjoy or agree with.
I think, and you can tell me if you agree, that the stigma which DOES exist on wrestling, (prompting among other things many of McMahon's decisions on verbiage and presentation), does preclude its being talked about seriously often times.
In that way, it seems to put a handicap on meticulous reporters like yourself, who have to constantly keep in mind the casual vs. hardcore fan situation, and ties your hands a bit in the ability to ask more in-depth and exploratory questions.
Of course, wrestling's casual mainstream status means that there are a hundred guys and gals out there to which he can respond "in character" to, which is what serves the company best in terms of causal audience, and hampers you and others from being to apply the full-court interviewing press on him as you could in an environment which was more conducive to pushing in-depth questions.
Anyhoo...I personally think that your questions were fine, and given the circumstances, that was a nice swerve at the end to put the Rock question to him in a way in which he could answer in the way he obviously wanted to. Wrestling is never like anything else, even in the way journalism has to deal with it. I'd like to see a future where it could be talked about in the same way as other sports, as I feel the creative aspects combined with the sports would make it ultimately more interesting--but that seems a bit down the road yet. If it gets there, I fully expect you to be at its forefront.
As always, you are the consummate and articulate wrestling journalist. Take care.