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

Je’Von Evans brought his crippled to the adjacent level crossed WWE successful 2025.

He competed for the NXT Championship aggregate times, challenged Sami Zayn for the United States Championship connected "Friday Night SmackDown," astir defeated Leon Slater for Total Nonstop Action’s (TNA) X Division Championship, came adjacent to capturing AAA’s World Cruiserweight Championship, competed successful the Last Time Is Now Tournament and was selected to look connected the aforesaid paper arsenic John Cena’s last show.

To headdress it off, Evans became the No. 1 contender for the NXT Championship arsenic helium won the Men’s Iron Survivor Challenge. He was handpicked by Cena to vie successful the event.

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Je'Von Evans speaks during NXT astatine the WWE Performance Center connected Dec. 9, 2025 successful Orlando, Florida. (Kevin Sabitus/WWE)

How would Evans picture the twelvemonth that helium had?

"It’s insane, honestly," helium told Fox News Digital successful a caller interview. "I wasn’t expecting each of this to hap truthful soon. But I’ve been moving hard, and trying to beryllium that I beryllium present successful WWE. And I conjecture this is the reward. So, yeah, it’s a blessing. I’m honored that this is each happening for me."

"Bouncy" is the catchphrase that blares done the speakers erstwhile Evans’ euphony hits. The gangly and lanky 21-year-old has the athleticism of a nonrecreational jock with the cutting-edge wrestling prowess that WWE fans person been accustomed to seeing from Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy.

A casual watcher, oregon idiosyncratic who seldom keeps their eyes connected pro wrestling, whitethorn wonderment however idiosyncratic similar Evans got progressive successful pro wrestling. He could beryllium an Olympic jock oregon play immoderate different athletics helium wanted.

The involvement successful pro wrestling began erstwhile helium was a kid increasing up successful Greensboro, North Carolina.

"I’ve ever been watching wrestling erstwhile I was younger. And I got an accidental to bid astatine a precise young age," helium recalled. "I started grooming astatine 13. So, I got an accidental to bid and I took it and ran with it. And, of course, I was inactive doing track, hoops successful school. But I conscionable knew for a information that I wanted to beryllium a nonrecreational wrestler.

"Once I got the opportunity, it was disconnected to the races."

Je'Von Evans enters the ringing during Saturday Night's Main Event astatine Capital One Arena connected Dec. 13, 2025 successful Washington, D.C. (Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images)

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The communal taxable from those who don’t person the aforesaid respect for pro wrestling arsenic Evans does is that it’s "fake" and that nary 1 should prosecute it, arsenic good arsenic the imaginable dangers that travel with it.

Evans’ passionateness for it burned heavy and helium ignored the naysayers.

"So, of course, that’s conscionable the normal, ‘wrestling is fake.’ You know, ‘you shouldn’t bash it’ oregon ‘it’s dangerous.’ That was similar the mean effect to it. So, I would either laughter like, ‘Yeah, yeah, it’s dangerous,’ oregon ‘yeah, it’s fake, whatever, whatever.’ I wouldn’t wage nary caput due to the fact that I knew, astatine the extremity of the day, that was what I wanted to bash and that was my main goal. I was going to beryllium them wrong, get signed and beryllium the champion wrestler ever," helium said.

Being handpicked by Cena to vie successful 1 of NXT’s astir unsocial matches solidified each the hard enactment Evans had enactment into his craft.

"It’s insane. Insane, bro," Evans told Fox News Digital. "I grew up watching Cena. So, for him to handpick maine is crazy. Before his show, we got to speech and helium was putting maine onto the game. It’s conscionable chaotic that present I person an accidental and present I’ll person a transportation with Cena and we tin speech whenever we privation to. It’s insane, insane for sure."

The adjacent twelvemonth is poised to beryllium unthinkable for Evans.

He volition person different changeable astatine winning the NXT Championship – whether it’s against Oba Femi oregon Slater who conscionable astatine NXT New Year’s Evil successful a fewer weeks. There’s besides the Royal Rumble coming up and fans ne'er truly cognize who is going to amusement up and amusement out.

Je'Von Evans successful enactment against Sami Zayn during "SmackDown" astatine Kia Center connected Sept. 26, 2025 successful Orlando, Florida. (Bradlee Rutledge/WWE Via Getty Images)

For Evans, he’s conscionable hoping for much blessings successful the adjacent year.

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"I deliberation that my 2025 was conscionable afloat of opportunities and blessings that successful 2026 I want, not the same, but better," helium said. "I’m grateful for what I received successful 2025. So, I’m conscionable waiting connected everything to autumn successful enactment successful 2026."

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