TAYLOR SWIFT.
>>> PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING ICON
HOSTED "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE" A
FEW YEARS BACK.
A 16-TIME WWE CHAMPION WHOSE
SIGNATURE MOVE IS THE ATTITUDE
ADJUSTMENT.
S
CENA IS THE FACE OF WRESTLING
AND A MOTTO TO NEVER GIVE UP.
HE HAS A MOVIE CAREER AND HE
WRITES BEST SELLING CHILDREN'S
BOOK FOR THOSE KIDS WHO LOVE
THEM ABOUT A FAMILY OF MONSTER
TRUCKS.
JOHN AND I SAT DOWN FOR A SUNDAY
SIT-DOWN.
>> Reporter: OUTSIDE THE RING,
JOHN CENA IS A GENTLEMAN AND
KIND AND GENEROUS WITH ALL THOSE
MUSCLES HIDDEN.
>> I FEEL LIKE YOU DRESS WELL
AND YOU ARE A TWO OR THREE PIECE
SUIT.
>> I SHOW UP LOOKING LIKE I AM
GOING TO TRADE BADGES.
SORRY.
>> CENA'S NEW CHILDREN BOOK
"ELBOW GREECE VERSES MOTOZILLA"
FOCUSES ON PERSEVERANCE.
>> IT STARTS WITH WWE, ALL THESE
YOUNG KIDS WERE DRAWN TO THE
PHILOSOPHY OF NEVER GIVING UP.
I CHOSE A FAMILY OF MONSTER
TRUCKS BECAUSE I GREW UP WITH
FOUR BROTHERS, WE EACH HAVE OUR
DISTINCT PERSONALITY OF LIKE ONE
BEING SUPER INTELLIGENT AND ONE
BEING SUPER CRAZY AND ONE SUPER
FAST AND THEN THERE IS ELBOW
GREASE WHO'S DIFFERENT AND WHOSE
OUTSTANDING QUALITY IS
PERSEVERANCE.
>> YOU HAVE FIVE BOYS IN YOUR
FAMILY?
>> YES.
>> ARE YOU ELBOW GREASE?
>> 100% I AM ELBOW GREASE.
I HAVE NEVER BEEN OUT SSTANDING
WITH ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR
STICKING WITH SOMETHING.
>> THE 42 YEARS OLD CENA WAS
RAISED IN MASSACHUSETTS.
THE SECOND OF THOSE FIVE
BROTHERS.
>> I HAVE MY SHARES OF FIGHTS IN
MY DAY.
I KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE
KNOCKED DOWN.
I KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO GET
BACKUP.
>> SOMETHING LIKE DINNER TIME
WHEN THEY SET THE FOOD DOWN.
THERE IS FIVE OF US AND IT IS A
COMPETITION TO EAT.
>> PROFESSIONAL WHERE HRESTLING
BIG AT THE CENA'S HOUSEHOLD.
>> JOHN INTRODUCED HULK HOGAN.
>> THIS WAS WHEN WWE TURNING A
PHENOMENAL.
I THINK IF YOU WERE A CHILD OF
THE '80s.
THAT'S AN ICON YOU LOOK UP TO.
>> JOHN TOOK UP BODY BUILDING
AND EARNED A SPOT ON THE
FOOTBALL TEAM AT SPRINGFIELD
COLLEGE WHERE HE BECAME AN ALL
AMERICAN OFFENSIVE LINEMAN.
AFTER GRADUATING WITH A DEGREE
IN EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY, CENA
SETS HIS SITES ON THE FITNESS
MECA OVF VENICE BEACH IN
CALIFORNIA.
>> YEAH, GO AHEAD, YOU WILL
NEVER LAST FOR TWO WEEKS.
PERSEVERANCE KICKED IN, YEAH, I
AM GOING.
I KNEW I WAS GOING TO LAST
LONGER.
>> AT 21, HE TALKED HIS WAY INTO
A JOB AT THE WORLD FAMOUS GOLD'S
GYM.
>> AT ONE POINT I DIDN'T HAVE
MONEY AND I USED THE GYM LIKE A
HOME BECAUSE I WOULD WORK ALL
DAY THERE AND GOLD WOULD OPEN
4:00 A.M. TO MID NIGHT.
I WOULD WORK AS MANY HOURS AS I
COULD AND MAKE AS MUCH MONEY AS
I COULD BECAUSE I LOVE THE
PLACE.
>> FRIENDS TOLD HIM OF A NEAR BY
TRAINING ACADEMY THAT TAUGHT THE
SECRETS OF WRESTLING.
>> WHAT, YOU CAN BE A WRESTLER?
>> IMMEDIATELY I SAID YES.
>> CENA WAS A NATURAL.
IN 2001, HE SIGNED WITH WHAT WAS
THEN CALLED THE WORLD WRESTLING
FEDERATION.
NOW WWE.
OVER 17 YEARS HE BECAME THE
BIGGEST STAR IN PROFESSIONAL
WRESTLING WITH YOUNG KIDS AS HIS
BIGGEST FAN.
>> YOU CAN TELL BY THE PITCH OF
THOSE PEOPLE CHEERING FOR ME IS
A HIGHER PITCH AND THE PITCH OF
THOSE DISPISING ME IS A LOW
ADULT MALE PITCH.
YOU CAN TRY TO CONVINCE THESE
PEOPLE BUT IT IS GOING TO BE A
HARD SALE.
WHY NOT CATER TO THE PEOPLE WHO
ALREADY ENJOY YOU.
I HAD PARENTS LISTEN, I HATE
YOU.
KEEP DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING
BECAUSE MY KIDS LOVE YOU.
>> YOU CAN'T BEAT ME.
>> I DON'T WANT TO GIVE ANY
SECRETS TO THE FANS OF
WRESTLING.
YOU GOT A BIG MATCH BEFORE
SOMEBODY AND YOU GOT TO TALK
BEFORE THE MATCH.
>> I APPRECIATE THE RESPECT.
WWE HAS COME TO GRIPS TO WHAT IT
IS.
WE ARE SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT AND
THE MOST REWARDING FEELING IS
WHEN YOU CAN CRAFT A NARRATIVE
THAT HAS A LIVE AUDIENCE ON THE
EDGE, I HAVE GOOSE BUMPS
PERFORMING IN FRONT OF AN
AUDIENCE KNOWS WHAT YOU ARE
DOING IS ENTERTAINMENT.
FOR THAT ONE MOMENT IN TIME
MAKING THEM BELIEVE.
EVERY TIME I COME OUT OF THAT
RING ON WWE, I AM PUMPED!
>> 2015, CENA LEFT INTO A NEW
WORLD WITH A PERFORMANCE IN THE
HIT AMY SCHUMER COMEDY "TRAIN
WRECK."
>> I LOOK LIKE MARK WAHLBERG.
MORE JOBS FOLLOWED INCLUDING A
LEADING ROLE LAST YEAR IN
"BUMBLEBEE."
THE SIXTH INSTALLMENT OF THE
"TRANSFORMERS."
CENA WILL STAR IN "FAST AND
FURIOUS IX."
>> THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
WATCH YOUR HOLLYWOOD MOVES OVER
THE LAST FEW YEARS AND THOUGHT
OH, HE'S GOING DOWN THE DWAYNE
JOHNSON'S PATH.
>> TO SAY THAT I WANT TO EMULATE
THE PATH OF DWAYNE JOHNSON IS
TRUE IN SOME ASPECT.
HE'S BRAUF EVE ENOUGH TO BE THE
FIRST ONE, DAMN IT WE ARE MORE.
I AM GOING TO PROVE WE ARE MORE.
IF YOU A COPY OF SOMEONE, THAT'S
ALL THAT YOU WILL BE.
RIGHT NOW THE NOW GENERATION OF
WWE IS DEALING WHO'LL BE THE
NEXT JOHN CENA.
THEY TAKE THE SAME APPROACH AS I
DID.
I AM NOT GOING TO BE THE NEXT OF
ANYBODY.
I WILL BE THE FIRST ME.
>> JOHN'S NEW BOOK IS AVAILABLE
ON TUESDAY.
HIS NEXT MOVIE "PLAYING WITH
FIRE" COMES OUT ON NOVEMBER THE
8th.
OUR BIG THANKS TO GROUND CENTRAL
HERE IN NEW YORK FOR HOSTING OUR
CONVERSATION.
IT IS WORTH NOTING THAT OVER THE
YEARS, HE GRANTED MORE THAN 600
WISHES FOR CHILDREN FOR THE MAKE
A WISH FOUNDATION.
THAT'S MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY
AS ANYBODY ELSE HAS.
TO HEAR JOHN TALKS MORE ABOUT
DWAYNE JOHNSON BECAME HIS CAREER
INSPIRATION A TIME WHERE
COPS ARE IN THE SPOTLIGHT.
WE ARE BACK IN 60 SECONDS.