WATCH: John Cena suffers broken nose after botched knee attack

MANILA, Philippines – Dedicated fans of professional wrestling are quick to point out that the action isn’t “fake,” it’s scripted. And there is a difference.

You cannot fake, for instance, Mick Foley falling off a 20-foot steel cage as mankind still struggles with the demands of gravity. You can, however, script the willful participation of both competitors to ensure that high spot occurs, and then hope for the best.

On this past weekend’s edition of World Wrestling Entertainment RAW, United States champion John Cena got hit in the face with the reality of sports entertainment in a very literal sense.

(READ: WWE breaks ties with Hulk Hogan amid racism controversy)

During a match with WWE World Heavyweight champion Seth Rollins, Cena got smashed in the nose by a Muay Thai-style knee from Rollins.

The knee shot immediately drew blood from Cena’s nose, though the fans barely reacted as they’re conditioned to believing it was a case of Cena “selling” a staged injury.

Cena still managed to “win” and retain the U.S. championship (Rollins’ title wasn’t at stake), forcing Rollins to tap-out to the STF submission hold moments after the incident.

One pro wrestler explained to Rappler that the botch was the fault of both parties.

“It was a botch on both sides. Rollins forgot to pull out the knee; Cena forgot to cover his face,” the wrestler said.

The WWE confirmed the injury on its official Twitter account, though it’s unlikely such an injury would keep Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, Respect out of action for long. Pro wrestling is a hurt business, and the show almost always goes on. – Rappler.com