All in all, The Rock and John Cena's real-life feud was a very civil one in comparison to the many instances where wrestlers fought each other outside the squared circle over an actual beef. Both men blurred the lines between kayfabe and reality multiple times, especially in the run-up to WrestleMania XXVIII, but when the on-screen rivalry ended, their real-world heat with each other began to cool down. So much so that in 2018, Cena appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" and admitted that he now considers The Rock, or should we say, Dwayne Johnson, as a friend. It probably helps that Cena has since taken a similar path, making the transition from full-time professional wrestler to an in-demand actor.
More recently, Cena spoke to The Sun — the same outlet where he originally unloaded on The Rock back in 2008 — and admitted that the comments he made were "stupid" in retrospect. "For me to not be able to see Dwayne's vision on what he wanted to do personally, and how his personal success could affect a growing global brand, that was just ignorant on my part," the 16-time world champion said, later on adding that he is "very thankful to Dwayne Johnson" for helping open the doors for him as a wrestler-turned-Hollywood-star.
For his part, The Rock guested on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" one day before Cena's appearance (via YouTube), acknowledging that he and Cena had some "real problems" that colored their on-screen rivalry but emphasizing that he now considers him as one of his best friends. Kimmel even compared their progression from rivals to good friends to that of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird — a great analogy even if you consider pro wrestling's predetermined nature.
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