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It's Been A Decade Since John Cena Announced The Death Of Osama Bin Laden

It's Been A Decade Since John Cena Announced The Death Of Osama Bin Laden

He said the news made him 'proud to be an American'

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

It's been 10 years since Osama Bin Laden was killed in a US Navy SEALs operation, which means it's been a decade since wrestling fans were, somewhat bizarrely, given the news by a shirtless John Cena during a WWE event.

Watch the moment below:

Bin Laden was killed during an early morning raid in Pakistan on 2 May 2011, in an operation carried out by the US Naval Special Warfare Development Group (SEAL Team Six) and Central Intelligence Agency SAD/SOG under orders from the then-president Barack Obama.

President Obama made a televised announcement, while the gathered crowd at WWE's Extreme Rules 2011 were given the news by Cena, who said it made him feel 'damn proud to be an American'.

Cena, who had just won a three-man cage match, said: "I walk out here every night with hustle, loyalty and respect on my sleeve.

"That is a credo I've adopted from the men and women who defend the freedom of this country.

WWE

"The President has just announced that we have caught and compromised - to a permanent end - Osama bin Laden."

The crowd then burst out into a chant of 'U-S-A' while wildly applauding, with Cena going on to say: "This is something tonight, but I feel damn proud to be an American."

Last week, to mark the 10-year anniversary, Obama sat down with Admiral William McRaven, who was commander of the special operations forces that conducted the raid, and talked about the operation that led to Bin Laden's capture and death.

Obama revealed that shortly before the mission was carried out, he had called Admiral McRaven to wish the team well.

Opening up about why he chose to make the call, Obama said: "Two reasons I did that. One, no matter how highly trained those warriors were, there was still enormous risk to a mission like that.

"But the second reason I think it was important for me is that, as Commander-in-Chief and certainly here in Washington, a lot of times these issues of war are treated as abstractions.

WWE

"And we forget that these are folks who have families and loved ones and that they are carrying a burden on behalf of hundreds of millions of Americans.

"And when you are Commander-in-Chief and you make a decision about a particular mission like that, it was one of those rare opportunities where I had the chance to say - not after the fact, not in retrospect, not when folks are coming home, but before they go - that we don't take this for granted."

Featured Image Credit: WWE

Topics: US News, John Cena, WWE