John Cena's rise on the Smackdown brand in the early 2000s was one of the memorable moments in his entire wrestling career. Especially going from a generic lower-card babyface to a quick-witted "wannabe" rapper, John Cena's charisma allowed him to shine in WWE's "Ruthless Aggression" era. However, although John Cena succeeded mainly as a singles star, John Cena has hardly ever known as a tag-team performer. Even though he's won the Tag-team Championships many times, there hasn't been a tag team he's a part of that is revered with great recognition in WWE history. He's had a few short-term acquaintances, as one of his most known acquaintances when portraying the "Doctor of Thuganomics" was his former bodyguard, Bill Buchannan or B2. However, one of his most forgettable alliances during his days as the "Doctor of Thuganomics" was Rodney Mack, one of the forgotten characters of the "Ruthless Aggression" era.

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John Cena And B2's Connection

John Cena allying with B2 was an eventful moment in his career as he was on the verge of rising among the ranks on the Smackdown brand in 2002. Not in a sense where both men dominated the Smackdown brand, but it allowed John Cena to showcase his rapping skills. Bull Buchanan was a fine addition to John Cena's character because, in kayfabe, John Cena can bounce back from his generic babyface role and become more credible with a bodyguard having his back.

Although having Bull Buchanan as John Cena's bodyguard was an acceptable role for him, judging WWE's creative booking, many wouldn't expect Bull Buchanan to get a massive push after his alliance with John Cena would come to fruition. Other than his association with Right To Center, Bull Buchanan wasn't known for much in his WWE career. And like many expected, John Cena eventually turned on Bull Buchanan to get heat on himself. And rather than WWE using an opportunity to push Bull Buchanan as a babyface, he got released by WWE on January 26, 2003.

Rodney Mack Becomes John Cena's New Enforcer

On an episode of Smackdown from January 2003, John Cena and Bull Buchanan lost against the Los Guerreros for the WWE Tag-Team Championships. As John Cena began to scold Bull Buchanan by slapping him after the match, Bull Buchanan shoved John Cena and attempted to attack him even more. However, before Bull Buchanan could get the best of him, a wrestler named Redd Dogg came to save John Cena, and both men got the best of Bull Buchanan.

Redd Dogg would be formerly known as Rodney Mack, a superstar from the early years of the "Ruthless Aggression" era that many have forgotten. Some fans may not even know that Rodney Mack was associated with John Cena and his "Doctor of Thuganomics" persona.

Believe it or not, it seemed at first that WWE had plans for Rodney Mack as not just an enforcer for John Cena but as an up-and-coming breakout star in the "Ruthless Aggression" era. Here's someone in Rodney Mack who had a wrestler's build in a sense where he looked intimidating and could come off as a legit competitor. Especially being the bodyguard of John Cena, it could've shown what his character is all about.

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Mack Disappeared As Nothing Happened

Even though Rodney Mack got a role on Smackdown with the rising John Cena, it not only didn't work out but wasn't given a chance by any means. Rodney Mack only made one appearance on Smackdown with John Cena and was immediately moved to Monday Night Raw as if nothing happened.

One can't even determine whether his association with John Cena was horrible because there was nothing that even warranted the association as good or bad. Teaming with John Cena would've done wonders for Rodney Mack's career. It's hard to assume such a thing because, just like that, Rodney Mack was no longer on Smackdown and had no affiliation with John Cena whatsoever.

John Cena And Rodney Mack Go Their Separate Ways

Fortunately for John Cena, he didn't need any enforcer to make waves on Smackdown in 2003. Even as a solo act, John Cena's run as the "Doctor of Thuganomics" garnered credibility as the rest of his run on Smackdown helped his career take in WWE. Although Rodney Mack only made one appearance on Smackdown with John Cena, he got involved on the Raw brand with Teddy Long and his real-life wife, Jazz, forming a heel unit called "Thuggin' And Buggin." Even though he stayed on the Raw brand for some time and was a featured act on the show, Thuggin And Buggin eventually were forgotten as it didn't lead to anything of importance for Rodney Mack's career. Furthermore, in late 2004, Rodney Mack got released by the company.