A beast in the ring with a charming smile, John Cena is one of the most famous pro wrestlers ever.
As if that wasn't enough, he made the leap to being one of Hollywood's most bankable actors.
How much do you know about the WWE star turned movie star?
John Cena's time in the WWE almost ended as soon as it began. As he shared in the "Ruthless
Aggression" documentary, what he was doing in the ring early in his career, quote, "just wasn't
working" and he was set to get the chop during the company's "Christmas cuts." However, that
all changed after he started freestyle rapping with other wrestlers on the tour bus. In the doc,
he said his rhymes eventually caught Stephanie McMahon's attention, with Cena recalling -
"She was like 'would you like to do this on television', I said 'absolutely.'"
"See I'm a game that you don't wanna play man. I'm John Cena - you just a chump, Michael Strahan."
With that, the Doctor of Thuganomics character,
a rapper who would rattle off rhymes when he wasn't grappling, was born. As the WWE recounted,
Cena would go on to release a real-deal rap album called "You Can't See Me" in
2005 with his cousin "Tha Trademarc," and it reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200.
The wrestler eventually stopped laying down bars, telling GQ that rap is "a young man's game."
Then, at the 2019 WrestleMania event,
Cena delighted audiences when he reprised his early role.
As a young teenager, John Cena wasn't known as the buff,
wrestling type. He explained in an interview for The Sun -
"I remember the walk to the school bus, at the very least,
five times, being shoved down, toppled down."
He also revealed to Men's Journal that he would get,
quote, "beat up and picked on in school." Fed up with the disrespect,
Cena decided to make a change and get ahold of his very own weightlifting gear telling, People -
"I got tired of getting beaten up and I asked my dad for a weight set and he
got me one at 13. I started working out and I haven't stopped since."
It was a gift that changed young Cena's life. Not only was he, as he said in Men's Journal, "just
stronger than everybody" after a few years of lifting, but his future as a professional wrestler
and action star was set in motion. Decades later, Cena continues to do impressive work in the gym.
Suffice to say, Cena can lift a lot of weight, and reps have been the secret to his success.
For higher education, John Cena stayed in his hometown state of Massachusetts
to attend Springfield College. While at school, he studied exercise physiology
to better understand weightlifting. He went on to explain to Men's Journal that with, quote,
"a general knowledge about how the body works, you can tell when your body's worn and when it's not,
what you can take, what the human body is capable of."
And even though he focused on weightlifting and understanding his body,
Cena still felt he was unequipped to play football. According to the future wrestler -
"I was way too small."
After college, Cena worked as a limo driver for a short stint.
Reflecting on this gig in a 2021 interview with Bloomberg,
he revealed that his performance in the gym didn't exactly translate well to the road, remembering -
"I was not a good limo driver — on my first pickup, I was three hours late."
According to the wrestler, he didn't understand how to navigate to and from Boston Logan
International Airport — arguably an important skill for a limo driver in the Boston area.
And though he went on to be a famous Hollywood actor, Cena imagined he could
have gone a different route career-wise. He told Men's Journal that if he never made it big -
"I would be teaching somewhere — most likely either U.S. History or physical education,
and I would be coaching football."
Or alternatively, Cena felt he might have made a career in the armed services,
perhaps with the Marines.
In 1999, John Cena made the move from the East Coast to the West Coast and set his sights on
Los Angeles in search of fame. But he had a tough time convincing his family the plan would work,
explaining in an interview with The Sun -
"Dad told me I would be home with my tail between my legs in two weeks,"
Though this didn't deter the future star, he shared that when he initially tried to
get his career off the ground in the City of Angels, it wasn't easy on his wallet, saying -
"I went through my resources quickly and had to think on my feet.
I didn't want to go home crying."
And when Cena said he exhausted his resources, he meant nearly everything.
The wrestler revealed that he ended up homeless while in LA, explaining -
"I slept in my car for a while, which happened to be a very roomy 1991 Lincoln Town Car.
I had my clothes in the trunk and I slept in the back seat."
While living out of his Lincoln, he told The Sun that he worked at a gym
allowing him free workouts and showers. Fortunately, this chapter of his life did
not last too long, and he was able to build an incredible, multifaceted career from nothing.
John Cena is one of five brothers in his family. And, perhaps unsurprising given
his future career as a wrestler, he and his siblings fought with each other often as kids.
He told Seth Meyers that he'd been, quote, "chased with a chainsaw, with kitchen knives,
set on fire" by his brothers. Talking to The Sun about his brothers he said -
"There was certainly competition to define our identity — wanting to be
heard. All that comes along with being a sibling."
Years later and the boys were still going head-to-head with each other. During an interview
with Jimmy Fallon, the wrestler said that he shelled out for an open bar for his brother
Mark Cena's wedding. But he went on to explain that this gesture ended up going awry, saying -
"I found out it was a mistake when my brother
Dan and I got into a fistfight in the middle of the dance floor and closed the wedding down."
The melee stunned the bride's family, but it was old hat for the Cenas — and no,
it didn't spark a family feud. As John said when he and Dan appeared
on "The Kelly Clarkson Show," his police officer sibling is "a wonderful brother."
According to The Sun, Cena's wrestling career kicked off when another trainer recommended
he give it a go. According to The New York Times, Cena aspired to become a professional bodybuilder,
reportedly switching his focus to wrestling after becoming friends with pro wrestler Mike Bell.
Cena then joined the Ultimate Pro Wrestling league in California
to begin his career in the ring. As WWE recounted,
he joined the Louisville promotion Ohio Valley Wrestling and went by the name "The Prototype."
And luck would help Cena turn wrestling from a one-time hobby into a career starter. According
to The New York Times, Cena reportedly made his debut on TV because WWE chairman
Vince McMahon allowed him to sub for a wrestler who was out with the flu.
One of the greatest rivalries in the history of World Wrestling Entertainment was between
John Cena and The Rock. But Cena later admitted the feud went too
far outside of the ring. In a Q&A, Cena confessed about Dwayne Johnson -
"I said some things that were less than nice. He said some things that were less than nice."
He previously criticized Johnson for pursuing a career in acting...
which is a career he also ended up pursuing.
Cena now takes issue with his own remarks. As he said in Sports Illustrated -
"For me to not be able to see Dwayne's vision on what he wanted to do personally, and how his
personal success could affect a growing global brand, that was just ignorant on my part."
Cena grew to respect and love the times he had in the ring with The Rock, telling Men's Journal,
"[Johnson] tends to bring out the best in everyone. And that's, I guess,
thinking about it in retrospect, that's why I admire him so much."
And in a 2021 video for Esquire, he complimented The Rock as a wrestler who pushes his opponents
to rise to his level of performance. He also had nice things to say about Dave Bautista,
another wrestler-turned-actor. Even when Bautista said he never wanted to be in the same
film with other wrestlers, Cena said he respected the decision to pave his own way in film.
Another one of John Cena's many talents? He speaks Mandarin.
As he shared with The Straits Times in 2017, he'd studied Mandarin in order to,
quote, "get our global company to be a true global company."
In a press conference for the WWE held in China, Cena chatted in Mandarin the entire
time. He also showed off his language skills in the movie "Trainwreck." In an intimate sex
scene with star Amy Schumer, Cena slipped into the foreign language for comedic effect telling GQ -
"I was just trying to think of the most unsexy stuff possible,
'cause that was kind of the whole scene."
As for the translation the wrestler revealed -
"I was just saying the most Rosetta Stone things, like 'China is an important country.'
I was just trying to go off the theme of 'dirty talk going horribly wrong.'"
Cena also recorded an apology video in Mandarin after he said, quote, "Taiwan is the first country
that can watch [F9]" while promoting the "Fast & Furious" flick in 2021, per The New York Times.
Since the Chinese government considers Taiwan a part of China, his remarks ruffled some feathers.
In a video posted to the Chinese social network Weibo, Cena said in Mandarin -
"I'm very sorry for my mistakes. Sorry. Sorry. I'm really sorry. You
have to understand that I love and respect China and Chinese people."
Fans of John Cena might be perplexed by his Instagram account. Often,
the actor posts seemingly random photos, with no context or captions to help make sense of it all.
In an interview for Esquire, Cena explained -
"Please don't get me wrong, there is a method and value to every single thing
that I post on Instagram. But if I tell you, it ruins what I'm trying to do."
While fans may pull their own interpretations from his posts, he laughed and said -
"You'll never figure it out."
On the flip side, he uses his Twitter to promote positivity and messages of encouragement.
While speaking with Complex, Cena revealed that he got into Twitter for therapeutic reasons.
After, quote, "understanding the value of self-love,"
he used the social media platform as a way to show his vulnerable side,
where he could broadcast his thoughts that would otherwise be written in a journal. And he found
similar positive messages from BTS fans regarding the album "Love Yourself." As Cena told Complex -
"BTS allowed me to realize that I'm not alone."
To try the film industry, John Cena followed a similar path as other famous
stars like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger with roles in action films.
However, as he told The New York Times, those films didn't totally click for him, saying -
"Doing action wasn't a real good fit for me because it's the opposite of how I work."
Cena then changed gear and looked to comedic roles. His breakthrough came in the Judd Apatow
helmed "Trainwreck." As he recounted in The New York Times, Apatow told him to, quote,
"throw the script away and just talk about whatever" with star Amy Schumer during the
audition. Cena explained that he and Schumer, quote, "had a nice exchange
and it was like, 'Yeah, O.K., he's more than just a big guy.'"
The same year as "Trainwreck," 2015, Cena appeared in three other comedies: "Daddy's
Home" with Will Ferrell, "Sisters" with Tina Fey, and an episode of "Parks and Recreation." Similar
to his audition with Schumer, Fey said Cena had great comedic timing, telling The New York Times -
"He's just a fantastically funny improviser. If you said anything,
he was perfectly ready to react to it."
To help maintain his impressively big physique, John Cena takes a holistic approach to wellness.
He explained to Men's Journal that in terms of his diet, he consumes, quote,
"a lot of meal replacements just due to time constraint."
"I usually have a protein shake which is made up of 1 cup of milk,
1 cup of water, 2 scoops of protein."
The wrestler explained that while he doesn't typically prepare his own meals -
"I eat well. I just don't make bad decisions. I stay away from fried foods [and] desserts."
He shared a similar story in an interview for "Good Morning America." Cena believes consistency
is the key to long term health and wellness, but he did reveal that he doesn't only eat healthy
foods. As far as a guilty pleasure goes, Cena said he is, quote, "like the cookie monster."
Of course, Cena works out with weights but he also likes more mindful practices.
For example, he told People -
"I do 35 to 40 minutes of uninstructed yoga at the end of every workout."
The wrestler explained how stretching and mobility have been important to his routine,
and Cena compared the human body to a car, with indicators to potential problems that shouldn't
be ignored. While this may seem like a lot to take on, he keeps his health and fitness plan simple -
"Get enough rest and make good choices."
Between 2009 and 2012, John Cena was married to high school sweetheart Elizabeth Huberdeau.
However, things apparently fell apart when, according to TMZ, an issue with
a contractor supposedly, quote, "caused unbearable strife between him and his wife."
The two divorced and Cena's ex reportedly claimed the wrestler cheated on her during their marriage.
Cena’s next relationship after Huberdeau was with WWE star Nikki Bella. Outside of the ring,
she is known for her work in "Total Divas," as well as the spinoff she and twin sister
Brie Bella landed called "Total Bellas." Nikki and Cena were together for six years,
even getting engaged at WrestleMania. But in 2018,
the couple broke things off. Following a quick reconciliation, Nikki told People -
"After much time and soul-searching alone
and together, we have decided to officially part ways."
In October 2019, Cena attended the premiere for "Playing with Fire" with his new girlfriend,
Canadian electrical engineer Shay Shariatzadeh. The pair was rumored to be engaged in 2020,
and before the end of the year, Cena and Shariatzadeh tied the knot. The
newlyweds reportedly were married in a secret ceremony held in Tampa, Florida.
Outside of wrestling and acting, John Cena became an author. As he said on "Good Morning America"
in 2020, he created the children's book series "Elbow Grease" about cartoon monster trucks,
after noticing that many people in his fanbase gravitated to his motto,
"Never give up." He continued, saying -
"So as my in ring career dwindles and I'm not as prevalent,
I wanted to continue to send that message."
Cena said that while the books are about monster trucks, there are, quote, "underlying themes of
perseverance, self-worth, managing emotions, confronting fear, being okay with who you are"
And he does not stop there. When the WWE Superstar stopped by New York City BookCon in 2019,
he shared that including a female mechanic in the series is a method of tackling expectations
surrounding gender roles and to indicate that, quote, "anyone can do anything."
He also noted that the books show that winning isn't everything,
but that staying true to who you are is crucial. As the movie star told the audience -
"It's okay to be different. And it's okay to be you."
Throughout his career, John Cena has been extremely generous with his time
to give back to others. Take in 2012, for example, when he partnered with the WWE
for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and helped raise over $1 million for Susan G.
Komen — in a matter of just a few weeks. Though he admitted professional wrestling was perhaps behind
other sports in supporting the cause, Cena told Men's Journal that, quote,
"we were certainly one of the most effective." The big man also participated in the "Tribute
to the Troops" specials with WWE. As Cena explained to the publication -
"I admire the military. I guess in a world of villains and heroes, they're my heroes.”
Cena's most impressive charitable work is with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. In 2018, the AP reported
the wrestler and actor had fulfilled more wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation than any other
celebrity. He told the outlet that he considers it an honor when a child wants to spend the day
with him, and he has no interest in slowing down on granting the wishes. As he said in the AP -
"I'll do that as long as I can, as long as they're asking me to do it."
In 2016, John Cena was the highest paid wrestler for the WWE,
with Forbes reporting he earned $9.5 million that year for his time in the ring. In addition
to salary and merchandise sales from the WWE, Cena also was in successful films like "Daddy's Home"
and "Bumblebee," which further added to his bank account. You can add to that revenues
from his book series and other ventures like sponsorships and commercials. All combined,
Cena was worth $60 million as of 2021, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Plus, even more Nicki Swift videos about your favorite wrestlers turned actors are coming soon.
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