After taking part in a fantastic opening segment on SmackDown with Jimmy Uso, John Cena stopped by the backstage area to film a WWE Exclusive digital segment with Cathy Kelley to talk all things Payback.

Asked what it was like to return to the WWE Universe after two months away, Cena acknowledged that he never gets tired of sharing some time with the crowd, even if he acknowledges that he's rapidly running out of time in his storied career.

“Every single chance I get to go out there becomes more and more special,” John Cena told Cathy Kelley and the WWE Universe. “There is no denying the fact that I'm 46 and staring down 47. I've been here for over two decades. As I said out there in the ring, the last one is not tonight, but I know it's soon. To speak candidly, when you're involved in this every day in a full-time capacity, you just think about what's next. The WWE Universe being gracious to invite me and allow me back to be part of this family, for the last two or three years, I've been able to focus on what's now. I never miss any of those wonderful moments in the ring. I know it may sound repetitive, but so is me saying ‘Never give up,' and I never mind saying that, so I never mind saying ‘thank you' to the people that make this special. Because without them and them caring and allowing me that chance, I don't get to come back.”

Asked how he feels about the prospects of hosting Payback, Cena noted that he's never hosted a wrestling show before but knows that he'll be fine, as nothing bad ever happens to a host in the WWE Universe.

“So, first of all, a little bit of the nerves because I've done it all, I've been a fan, I've had rap battles, I've been the first match, I've been the middle match, I've been the last match, but I've never quite hosted,” Cena added. “So I just found that out right before I went down there, and I want to make sure everyone knows I'll be at the Premium Live Event, Payback, as the host, and I don't even know what that means. I have a lot of mutual respect for The Miz, I know he's a man that wears many hats, maybe I can engage in a conversation with him but maybe I can get some suggestions from him, he's done the job quite well.”

After running through the card, Cena was asked about his Payback hosting once more, noting that he's sure he'll be fine in Pittsburgh this Saturday, as nothing bad ever happens to hosts of WWE shows.

“I mean, Payback's already gonna be awesome, but I'll be there and nothing is gonna go wrong with me hosting. Whenever you have a host, it's just strictly you host, and that's it; that's one thing I've noticed in WWE, when you have a host, I think of the WrestleMania that The Rock hosted, he just hosted; he didn't do anything else except cost me the Championship.”

Dang, now that is a brutal takedown of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Will Cena put himself one way or another into the action at Payback, maybe getting back at Grayson Waller for interrupting his promo at Money in the Bank and starting a feud with Cody Rhodes in the process? Fans will find out soon enough.

John Cena reveals that he is trained, insured, and ready to Rock on SmackDown.

Asked for a few final thoughts before his interview with Cathy Kelley came to an end, John Cena noted that, after having to tip-toe around in his last few appearances on WWE programming due to being committed and insured for various projects, he is back, in shape, and ready to wrestle a match or two against some of the best Superstars WWE has to offer.

“So I got a little emotional but I just want everyone to know because the last few times I've been wearing the uniform, that I've really been looking forward to coming back to the WWE family and coming back to compete in these one-offs at London and at WrestleMania but an event here, and event there, it's really tough to balance what I can do, especially because I'm kind of between projects and I'm bound by insurance,” John Cena explained. “I am here to be part of SmackDown, and I am ready and I've been training, and I've been trying to get as in shape as I can, so I just wanna let the folks watching and maybe some of the Superstars watching from undisclosed locations that I'm here to compete and I'm ready.”

Whoa, could this undisclosed location be Atlanta, Georgia, where Cody Rhodes lives? Fans might get an answer to that question, or at least a hint, at Payback, as the “American Nightmare” is scheduled to be on the show sans an in-ring opponent as a special guest on The Grayson Waller Effect.