John Cena
 |
| John Cena |
| Born | April 23, 1977 West Newbury, Massachusetts |
|---|---|
| Residence | Tampa, Florida[1] |
| Occupation | Professional wrestler, actor, rapper |
| Years active | 1999-present (wrestler) 2000-present (actor) 2004-2005, 2014 (rapper) |
| Net worth |  $35 million (2014)[2] |
| Spouse(s) |
|
| Partner(s) | Nikki Bella (2012-present) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | John Cena[3] The Prototype[4] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[5] |
| Billed weight | 251 lb (114 kg)[5] |
| Billed from | "Classified" (UPW)[6] West Newbury, Massachusetts (WWE)[5] "West Newbarnia, Mexico" (as Juan Cena)[7] |
| Trained by | Ultimate Pro Wrestling[6] Ohio Valley Wrestling[8] |
| Debut | November 5, 1999[ |
John Felix Anthony Cena[3] (/ˈsiːnə/; born April 23, 1977) is an American professional wrestler, rapper and actor signed to WWE. He has been described as "the face of the WWE for a long time" and one of the most polarising and divisive figures in WWE (or even professional wrestling) history, despite playing a heroic character for the majority of his career in WWE.[10][11][12]
Cena started his professional wrestling career in 1999 with Ultimate Pro Wrestling, where he held the UPW Heavyweight Championship.[13] Cena signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later renamed to WWE) in 2001, debuting on the main roster in 2002. As of November 2014, Cena has had 22 championships reigns and is a 15-time world champion, consisting of a record 12 reigns as WWE Champion/WWE World Heavyweight Champion[14] and three reigns as World Heavyweight Champion. He has the fourth-highest number of combined days as WWE World Heavyweight Champion, behind Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, and Hulk Hogan. He has also headlined WWE's flagship event, WrestleMania on five occasions (WrestleManias 22, 23, XXVII, XXVIII, and 29) over the course of his career.
Outside of wrestling, Cena has released the rap album You Can't See Me, which debuted at No.15 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and starred in the feature films The Marine (2006), 12 Rounds (2009), and Legendary (2010).[15] Cena has also made appearances on television shows including Manhunt, Deal or No Deal, MADtv, Saturday Night Live, Punk'd, and Psych. Cena was also a contestant on Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, where he made it to the final round before being eliminated, placing third in the overall competition.
Contents
- 1 Early life
- 2 Professional wrestling career
- 2.1 Ultimate Pro Wrestling (1999–2001)
- 2.2 World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE (2001–present)
- 2.2.1 Ohio Valley Wrestling (2001–2002)
- 2.2.2 Debut (2002–2004)
- 2.2.3 Rise to Superstardom (2004–2005)
- 2.2.4 WWE Championship feuds and injury (2006–2007)
- 2.2.5 Return and world championship reigns (2008–2010)
- 2.2.6 Feud with The Nexus (2010–2011)
- 2.2.7 Record-breaking WWE Champion (2011–2013)
- 2.2.8 WWE World Heavyweight Champion (2013–present)
- 3 Other media
- 3.1 Film
- 3.2 Guest appearances
- 3.3 Television
- 3.4 Make-A-Wish Foundation
- 3.5 Endorsements
- 3.6 Fashion
- 3.7 Music
- 3.8 Filmography
- 3.8.1 Film
- 3.8.2 Television
- 4 Personal life
- 5 In wrestling
- 6 Championships and accomplishments
- 7 References
- 8 External links
Early life
Cena was born on April 23, 1977 in West Newbury, Massachusetts,[16] the son of Carol (née Lupien) and John Cena, Sr.[17] He is the second oldest of five brothers: Dan, Matt, Steve, and Sean.[18] His maternal grandfather was baseball player Tony Lupien.[19] His father is of Italian descent, while his mother has French Canadian and English ancestry.[20] After graduating from Cushing Academy, Cena attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts.[21] In college he was a Division III All-American center on the college football team,[22] wearing the number 54,[21] which is still used on some of his WWE merchandise.[23][24] He graduated from Springfield in 1998 with a degree in exercise physiology,[25] after which he pursued a career in bodybuilding[26][27] and worked as a driver for a limousine company.[28]Professional wrestling career
Ultimate Pro Wrestling (1999–2001)
Cena started training to become a professional wrestler in 1999 at Ultimate Pro Wrestling's California-based "Ultimate University" operated by Rick Bassman. Once he was placed into an in-ring role, Cena began using a semi-robotic character known as "The Prototype".[4][29] Some of this period of his career was documented in the Discovery Channel program Inside Pro Wrestling School.[30] While in UPW, Cena held the UPW Heavyweight title for just shy of a month in April 2000.[31] On October 10, 2000, while billed as The Prototype, Cena made his debut on a SmackDown taping in a dark match against Mikey Richardson, where he was defeated.[32] He received another tryout on January 9, 2001 at a SmackDown taping in Oakland, California, this time defeating Aaron Aguilera. Cena wrestled again in a dark match at SmackDown tapings on March 13.World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE (2001–present)
Ohio Valley Wrestling (2001–2002)
In 2001, Cena signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE). He was assigned to its developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).[33] During his time there, Cena wrestled under the ring names "The Prototype" and "Mr. P". He held the OVW Heavyweight Championship for three months and the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (with Rico Constantino) for two months.[34][35][36]Debut (2002–2004)
Cena performing an "FU" (standing fireman's carry takeover) on Kurt Angle in January 2005.
Shortly after the Kidman attack, on a Halloween themed episode of SmackDown, Cena dressed as Vanilla Ice performing a freestyle rap.[37] The next week, Cena received a new character: a rapper who cut promos while rhyming.[37] As the gimmick grew, Cena began adopting a variant of the 1980s WWF logo – dropping the "F" – as his "signature symbol", along with the slogan "Word Life".[40] Moreover, he was joined by an enforcer, Bull Buchanan, who was rechristened B-2 (also written B² and pronounced "B-Squared").[37] Buchanan was later replaced by Red Dogg,[37] until he was sent to the Raw brand in February. It is also around this time that Cena would wrestle a then 22-year-old enhancement talent named Bryan Danielson. Cena won the match cleanly on the February 8 edition of Velocity. Danielson would later become known as Daniel Bryan and cleanly win the WWE Championship from Cena at SummerSlam more than 10 years later.
For the first half of 2003, Cena sought the WWE Championship and chased the reigning champion, Brock Lesnar, performing weekly "freestyles" challenging him to matches.[41][42][43] During the feud, Cena unveiled a new finishing maneuver: the FU, a Fireman's carry powerslam, named to mock Brock Lesnar's F-5 because both moves start with Fireman's carry, with the first victim being Rikishi.[44] Cena won a number one contenders tournament against Lesnar at Backlash. However, Cena was defeated by Lesnar. At Vengeance Cena lost a singles match against The Undertaker.[37][45] At the end of the year, Cena became a fan favorite again when he joined Kurt Angle as a member of his team at Survivor Series.[46][47]
Rise to Superstardom (2004–2005)
Cena, wearing his customized U.S. Championship belt.
Cena took part in the 2005 Royal Rumble match, making it to the final two. Cena and Raw brand wrestler Batista went over the top rope at the same time, ostensibly ending the match. Vince McMahon, however, appeared on stage and restarted the match in sudden death rules, with Batista eventually eliminating Cena.[61] The next month, Cena defeated Kurt Angle to earn a spot in the SmackDown brand's WrestleMania 21 main event match,[62] beginning a feud with WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) and his Cabinet in the process. In the early stages of the feud, Cena lost his US belt to Cabinet member Orlando Jordan,[63] who proceeded to "blow up" the spinner championship with JBL and returning a more traditional style belt.[64] Cena defeated JBL at WrestleMania winning the WWE Championship, giving Cena his first world championship.[65] Cena then had a spinner WWE Championship belt made,[66] while JBL took the original belt and claimed to still be WWE Champion,[66] until Cena reclaimed the original belt in an "I Quit" match at Judgment Day.[67]
Cena was drafted to the Raw brand on June 6, 2005, becoming the first wrestler selected by General Manager Eric Bischoff in the annual draft lottery.[68] Cena immediately entered a feud with Bischoff, after refusing to participate in the "war" against the Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) roster at One Night Stand.[69] With Bischoff vowing to make Cena's stint on Raw difficult, he hand picked Jericho to take Cena's championship from him.[70] During their feud, even though Cena was portrayed as the fan favorite and Jericho as the villain, a vocal section of live crowds, nonetheless, were booing Cena during their matches.[71] More crowds followed suit during Cena's next feud with Kurt Angle,[72] who took over as Bischoff's hand-picked number-one contender after Cena defeated Jericho in a You're Fired match on the August 22 Raw.[73] As the feud continued and the dissenters grew more vocal, sometimes seeming to outnumber fans by wide margins,[74] the announce team was forced to acknowledge the booing on television and began calling Cena a "controversial champion", claiming some people disliking him on account of his "in-ring style" and his chosen fashion.[75] Despite the mixed and negative reactions, Cena held on to his championship through his feud with Angle, losing to him by disqualification[76] – which titles do not change hands in WWE – at Unforgiven and pinning him at Survivor Series.[77] The feud with Angle also saw Cena add a secondary, submission based, finishing maneuver – the STFU (a Stepover Toehold Sleeper, though named for a Stepover Toehold Facelock) – when he was put into a Triple Threat Submissions Only match on the November 28 Raw.[78]
WWE Championship feuds and injury (2006–2007)
Cena facing off against Edge at a WWE house show.
Cena while addressing fans at a Raw show.
On the heels of his feud with Edge, Cena was placed in an inter-brand angle to determine the "Champion of Champions" – or which was the most dominant champion in WWE's three brands. Cena, the World Heavyweight Champion King Booker, and the ECW World Champion The Big Show engaged in a mini-feud leading to a Triple Threat match at Cyber Sunday, with the viewers voting on which of the three championships would be placed on the line.[89] At the same time, Cena became involved in a storyline with non-wrestler Kevin Federline, when he began appearing on Raw with Johnny Nitro and Melina. After getting into a worked physical altercation with Federline on Raw,[89] Federline appeared at Cyber Sunday to hit Cena with the World Heavyweight Championship during the match, helping King Booker retain his championship.[82] 2006 ended with Cena beginning a feud with the undefeated Umaga over the WWE Championship,[90] while 2007 began with the end of his storyline with Kevin Federline. On the first Raw of the new year, Cena was pinned by Federline with an assist from Umaga, although later in the night he was able to get his hands on Federline performing an FU on him.[91]
One night after the Royal Rumble, an impromptu team of Cena and Shawn Michaels defeated Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton) for the World Tag Team Championship, making Cena a double champion.[92] On the April 2 episode of Raw, after losing a WWE Championship match to Cena at WrestleMania 23,[93] Michaels turned on Cena, costing them the championship in the second of two 10 team battles royals, by throwing Cena over the top rope and eliminating the team. The Hardys (Matt and Jeff) eventually won the match and the championship.[94] For the rest of the month, Cena feuded with Michaels, Orton, and Edge until The Great Khali declared his intentions to challenge for Cena's championship attacking and "laying out" all three of the top contenders[95] before assaulting Cena himself and stealing the physical belt.[96] For the next two months, Cena feuded with Khali over the championship, eventually becoming the first person in WWE to defeat him by submission at Judgment Day[97][98] and then by pinfall at One Night Stand.[99][100] Later that summer, Randy Orton was named the number one contender for the WWE championship,[101] starting a feud between the two. Leading up to SummerSlam, Orton delivered a number of sneak-attacks, performing three RKOs to Cena, but in the actual match, Cena retained the championship.[102] A rematch between the two occurred at Unforgiven, with Orton winning by disqualification after Cena ignored the referee's instructions and continued to beat on him in the corner.[103]
During a match with Mr. Kennedy on the October 1, 2007 episode of Raw, Cena suffered a legitimate torn pectoral muscle while executing a hip toss.[104] Though finishing the match and taking part in the scripted attack by Randy Orton after the match, surgery the following day found that his pectoralis major muscle was torn completely from the bone, estimating at the time to require seven months to a year of rehabilitation.[105][106] As a result, Cena was stripped of the title by Vince McMahon on the next night's episode of ECW,[107] ending what was the longest WWE Championship reign in over 19 years.[108] Cena's surgery was performed by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.[104] Two weeks later, in a video update on WWE.com, Dr. Andrews and Cena's physical trainer both said that he was several weeks ahead of where he was expected to be in his rehabilitation at that time.[109] Despite his injury, Cena attended the annual WWE Tribute to the Troops show filmed at Camp Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq on December 7, and aired on December 24.[110]
Return and world championship reigns (2008–2010)
Cena as one half of the World Tag Team Champions.
On the August 4 episode of Raw, Cena became a World Tag Team Champion for a second time, teaming with Batista to defeat Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase,[120] but failed to retain the titles the following week against the former champions.[121] Batista defeated Cena at SummerSlam;[122] shortly after, he was named one of four contenders for CM Punk's World Heavyweight Championship in the Championship scramble match at Unforgiven. He was replaced by Rey Mysterio, however, after Cena suffered a herniated disc in his neck, which required surgery.[123] Cena underwent successful surgery to repair the injury.[124][125]
Cena made his in-ring return at the November pay-per-view event, Survivor Series, defeating Chris Jericho to win his first World Heavyweight Championship.[126] The two continued their rivalry up to Armageddon, where Cena retained his championship.[127] Cena lost the championship at No Way Out, to Edge after Kofi Kingston was attacked by Edge, who took his place in the Elimination Chamber match.[128] Cena was given an opportunity to regain the title at WrestleMania XXV in a Triple Threat match also involving Big Show, which Cena won.[129]
Cena lost the championship back to Edge in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash after interference from Big Show, who chokeslammed Cena through a big spotlight.[130] This angle resulted in Cena beginning a feud with Big Show. Cena defeated Big Show at Judgment Day[131] and at Extreme Rules in a Submission match by applying the STFU.[132]
At the July pay-per-view, Night of Champions, he participated in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship, which also involved Triple H and WWE Champion Randy Orton. Cena, however, did not win the match.[133] Two months later, at Breaking Point, Cena defeated Randy Orton for the WWE Championship in an "I Quit" match to win his fourth WWE Championship.[134] At Hell in a Cell, Cena lost the title to Orton in a Hell in a Cell match.[135] Three weeks later, at WWE Bragging Rights, Cena defeated Orton in a 60-minute Iron Man match.[136] Cena successfully defended the title against both Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a Triple Threat match at Survivor Series, and lost it to Sheamus at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a Tables match.[137]
Cena as WWE Champion in 2010.
Feud with The Nexus (2010–2011)
See also: The Nexus
On the June 7, 2010 episode of Raw, Cena was suddenly thrust
into a new storyline when during his main event match against CM Punk,
he was attacked by all eight former contestants of WWE NXT Season 1, with Wade Barrett as their leader. Punk, his follower Luke Gallows,
and other personnel around the ring were attacked as well, but Cena
took the worst of the attack and was carried out on a stretcher. This
group later referred to itself as The Nexus.[143] At Fatal 4-Way, Cena lost the WWE title to Sheamus, in a fatal four-way match involving Edge and Randy Orton, after The Nexus interfered.[144] Cena again lost to Sheamus, in a steel cage match, at Money in the Bank, after The Nexus again interfered.[145] Cena, in retaliation to The Nexus, formed an alliance with Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, R-Truth, The Great Khali, and Bret Hart. They defeated The Nexus at SummerSlam, with help from the returning Daniel Bryan, a former member of Nexus, who replaced Khali after he was injured.[146]
Cena being forced to read a public address by Wade Barrett while a member of Nexus.
Orton defeated Barrett to retain the title, thus terminating Cena's WWE contract.[150] The following day on Raw, Cena gave a farewell speech, before costing Wade Barrett the WWE Championship by interfering in his rematch with Randy Orton.[151] A week later, Cena invaded Raw, first as a spectator, but then attacked members of Nexus, explaining that he would still take down Nexus one by one, despite not having a job in the WWE anymore.[152] On the December 13 episode of Raw, Cena was rehired by Barrett, in exchange that he would face him at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a Chairs Match.[153] Prior to TLC, Cena teamed up with Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio to defeat Wade Barrett, The Miz, and Alberto Del Rio at the WWE Tribute to the Troops. On December 19 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Cena was victorious against Wade Barrett in a Chairs match in the main event of the evening.
Cena at WWE Tribute to the Troops in 2010.
On the January 17 episode of Raw, Cena returned and faced Punk in a match. During the match, a man, who was later revealed as Mason Ryan, attacked Cena. During the 2011 Royal Rumble match, Cena eliminated most of The Nexus, ending his feud with them.
Record-breaking WWE Champion (2011–2013)
The Rock and Cena agree to face each other at WrestleMania XXVIII.
On the February 21 episode of Raw, Cena replied to The Rock's comments about him from the previous week in rap form, as The Rock returned as the announced guest host of WrestleMania. That night, Cena was placed into a WWE Tag Team Championship match, with him teaming with The Miz, where they defeated Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater to become WWE Tag Team Champions. After the match, Wade Barrett invoked Gabriel and Slater's rematch clause straight away, where they won their titles back after The Miz attacked Cena.[157] Cena and The Rock continued to feud, on-air and through social networks. After weeks of insults, they finally met face-to-face. Cena denied The Rock's claim to truly "love" the WWE, claiming that he used WWE only to jumpstart his acting career, a claim which Johnson angrily refuted. After a brief attack by The Miz and Alex Riley, Cena hit The Rock with the Attitude Adjustment.[158] At WrestleMania, Cena and Miz fought to a double countout. The Rock restarted the match and hit Cena with a Rock Bottom, allowing The Miz to retain.[159] The next night on Raw, Cena, in response to The Rock "screwing" him out of the title, agreed to face him in the main event of WrestleMania XXVIII, making it the first match to be set up for WrestleMania one year in advance. At Extreme Rules, Cena defeated The Miz and John Morrison to become WWE Champion.[159] Cena went on to successfully defend the title against The Miz at Over the Limit in an "I Quit" match[160] and R-Truth at Capitol Punishment.[161]
Cena then began a feud with CM Punk, who was leaving the company at Money in the Bank. Punk was enraged at Cena and The Rock, calling them "phonies", already booked to headline the next WrestleMania, and demanded change. At Money in the Bank, CM Punk defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship, and left the company with the title.[162][163][164] After Rey Mysterio was crowned WWE Champion, Cena challenged and defeated him later that night to become WWE Champion for a record-breaking ninth time,[165] only to be interrupted by CM Punk, who also claimed to be champion. Punk again defeated Cena at SummerSlam in a title unification match.[166] After Alberto Del Rio became WWE Champion by cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase, Cena became number one contender and beat Del Rio at Night of Champions to become WWE Champion for the tenth time.[167] He lost it back to Del Rio at Hell in a Cell, in a Triple Threat Hell in a Cell match also involving CM Punk.[168] Cena lost his rematch to Alberto Del Rio at Vengeance in a Last Man Standing match, due to interference by The Miz and R-Truth.[169] After a few weeks of Miz and Truth attacking Cena and other employees, Cena was allowed to choose his partner to challenge Miz and Truth at Survivor Series. Cena chose The Rock as his partner. Leading up to Survivor Series, Cena and The Rock continued to verbally assault each other, reiterating their points for their WrestleMania match, while attacking the "Awesome Truth". At the pay-per-view, after Cena and Rock defeated Miz and Truth, Rock gave Cena another Rock Bottom.[170]
Cena and The Rock face off at WrestleMania XXVIII.
After Elimination Chamber, Cena and The Rock verbally attacked each other. At WrestleMania XXVIII, Cena faced The Rock in the main event match which had been building for a year and was billed as "once in a lifetime". Cena claimed the match was the most important of his life and that winning was a necessity, since nobody remembers second place. The match ended when Cena attempted the People's Elbow on The Rock, and The Rock countered with a Rock Bottom for the pin.[176]
Brock Lesnar faces off with Cena after his return in April 2012.
At Money in the Bank, Cena won his first Money in the Bank ladder match over Big Show, Chris Jericho, Kane and The Miz, earning a contract for a shot at the WWE Championship anytime within a year.[187] At Raw 1000, Cena cashed in his contract on CM Punk, and won the match by disqualification after Big Show interfered, becoming the first person to cash in a Money in the Bank contract and not win a title.[188][189] Show continued to attack Cena until The Rock arrived to make the save.[190] The following week on Raw, a WWE Championship number one contenders match between Cena and Show ended in a no contest due to interference from Punk. Following this, both men were entered in the championship match at SummerSlam by Raw General Manager AJ Lee.[191] At the event, Cena was unsuccessful as Punk would go on to retain the title once more.[192] Over the next few weeks, Cena continued feuding with Punk by refusing to call him "best in the world" and fighting him to a draw at Night of Champions on September 16.[193] On September 20, Cena was sidelined with a legitimate arm injury, rendering him inactive.[194] Because of his injury, Cena was replaced by Ryback in a Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship at Hell in a Cell.[195] On the November 5 Raw, Cena and Ryback were announced as part of a Triple Threat match for Punk's WWE Championship at Survivor Series, while also starting a feud with Dolph Ziggler over an alleged relationship with AJ Lee.[196] At the pay-per-view on November 19, Punk pinned Cena in the match to retain the championship.[197] Cena continued to feud with Ziggler and on December 16, at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, lost to him in a ladder match for his World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank contract, after AJ turned on Cena.(2012 also marked the third year that Cena did not win a single title. The first two were his debut and 2003)[198] The following night on Raw, Cena teamed with Vickie Guerrero to face Ziggler and AJ in a mixed tag team match, however, the match ended in a disqualification after Cena was attacked by the débuting Big E Langston.[199] Cena then defeated Ziggler on the January 7, 2013 episode of Raw in a singles match, and again in a steel cage match the following week, despite interference from AJ and Langston in both matches.[200][201]
On January 27, Cena entered the Royal Rumble match at #19 and won after last eliminating Ryback, becoming the fourth wrestler (after Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin) to win multiple Rumble matches.[202] The following night on Raw, Cena announced that he would pursue the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 29, after which, he would be assaulted by The Shield.[203] The following week on Raw, Cena would gain vengeance on the Shield when he, along with Ryback and Sheamus, attacked the stable.[204] This culminated in a six-man tag team match on February 17 at Elimination Chamber, where the Shield emerged victorious.[205] On the February 25 Raw, Cena defeated CM Punk to reaffirm his status as number one contender for the Rock's WWE Championship.[206] Cena then returned to his rivalry with The Rock, with Cena blaming his personal and professional troubles on his loss to the Rock the previous year, going so far as admitting his own vanity had cost him the match.[207][208] On April 7 at WrestleMania 29, Cena defeated Rock in their rematch to win his eleventh WWE Championship.[209] The following night on Raw, Cena began a rivalry with Ryback, after he saved Cena from a post-match assault from Mark Henry only to attack Cena himself.[210][211] During his feud with Ryback, Cena suffered a legitimate achilles tendon injury,[212] while also battling the Shield and facing them in losing efforts.[213][214][215] On May 19 at Extreme Rules, Cena retained the WWE Championship against Ryback in a Last Man Standing Match after Ryback rammed Cena and himself into the electric backdrop at the top of the ramp, resulting in a no contest.[216] On June 16 at WWE Payback, Cena defeated Ryback in a 3 Stages of Hell match to retain the WWE Championship, with Cena losing the Lumberjack match and winning the Tables match and the Ambulance match.[217] The following night on Raw, Cena was attacked by the returning Mark Henry, who feigned his "retirement", with World's Strongest Slam, sparking a rivalry between the two.[218] On July 15 at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, Cena defeated Henry via submission to retain the WWE Championship.[219] The next night on Raw, new Raw general manager Brad Maddox announced that he would allow Cena to choose his own opponent for SummerSlam. Later in the night, after taking an informal poll of the live audience, he chose Daniel Bryan.[220] On August 18 at the pay-per-view, Cena lost the WWE Championship to Bryan, with Triple H as the special guest referee, ending his reign at 133 days.[221] The following night on Raw, Cena announced that he would undergo surgery for a triceps tear and would be out for four to six months.[222]
WWE World Heavyweight Champion (2013–present)
On the October 7 episode of Raw, SmackDown General Manager Vickie Guerrero announced that Cena would be returning at Hell in a Cell, to face Alberto Del Rio for his World Heavyweight Championship.[223] Cena went on to defeat Del Rio at the pay-per-view on October 27, to win his third World Heavyweight title.[224] The following night on Raw, Cena defeated Damien Sandow in his first title defense after Sandow attacked Cena before the match and cashed in his Money in the Bank contract.[225] Cena successfully defended the World Heavyweight Championship against Del Rio at Survivor Series.[226]On the November 25 edition of Raw, Cena suggested that there only be "one champion" in WWE, so Triple H stated there would be a unification match between him and Randy Orton at the TLC pay-per-view. Cena went on to lose the match to Orton, losing the World Heavyweight Championship in the process.[227] Stephanie McMahon announced a rematch, in which Orton would defend the WWE World Heavyweight title against Cena at the Royal Rumble. Orton defeated Cena at the Rumble following a distraction by The Wyatt Family. Cena was then attacked after the match by the Wyatts.[228] The following night on Raw, Cena teamed up with Sheamus and Bryan to defeat The Shield via disqualification by the Wyatt Family and was qualified to compete in an Elimination Chamber match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Elimination Chamber 2014.[229][230] The next night on Raw, The Wyatts interfered in the main event (John Cena, Daniel Bryan and Sheamus vs. The Shield) attacking Cena again therefore giving the win to the latter's team by DQ. At Elimination Chamber, the Wyatts cost Cena the match once again which led to Orton pinning him for elimination.
After Elimination Chamber, Wyatt accepted Cena's challenge for a WrestleMania match,[231] Wyatt wanted to prove that Cena's heroic act was a facade characteristic of "this era of lies" while further wanting to turn Cena into a "monster".[232][233] At WrestleMania XXX, Cena successfully resisted the urge to become a "monster" and overcame interference from Harper and Rowan to defeat Wyatt.[234] The feud continued after WrestleMania based on the story that Wyatt was capturing Cena's fanbase, which was exemplified by Wyatt leading a children's choir to the ring on the April 28 episode of Raw, with the children later putting on sheep masks.[235] At Extreme Rules, Wyatt defeated Cena in a steel cage match, after repeated interference from the rest of the Wyatt Family and a demonic child.[236] Cena's feud with Wyatt continued with a Last Man Standing match being set up for Payback. At the pay-per-view, Cena buried Wyatt under multiple equipment cases to win the match.[237]
The next night on Raw, Cena faced Kane after interrupting Stephanie McMahon, who was criticizing Daniel Bryan's decision not to vacate the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at the Payback pay-per-view. McMahon revealed an ultimatum for the champion; be fit for the Money in the Bank pay-per-view or the title will be held for the first time in Money in the Bank ladder match. Cena went on to call McMahon a spoiled, jealous, ego maniac. Stephanie, in return, set Cena up against Kane. Cena won via disqualification, and was subject to being thrown into the steel steps. Cena retaliated, and threw the steps at Kane. The following week, after remaining Shield members Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns addressed Seth Rollins, they were attacked by The Wyatt Family. Cena came to their aid and was added in The Shield's six man tag team match against the Wyatts, which resulted in The Shield and Cena winning.
On the June 16 edition of Raw, Cena was forbidden by The Authority to participate in a battle royal for a spot in the Money in the Bank ladder for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but he would instead earn a spot another way: facing Kane in the originally proposed stretcher match Daniel Bryan was supposed to fight, which Cena won and earned his spot for the main event at Money in the Bank. At the pay-per-view, Cena captured his 15th world championship by winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship for the 12th time.[238] Cena then retained the title at Battleground against Roman Reigns, Randy Orton and Kane.[239] At SummerSlam, Cena lost the championship to Brock Lesnar in a squash match, during which Lesnar hit Cena with sixteen German Suplexes and two F-5s, ending his reign at only 49 days.[240] It was announced later in the week on Main Event that Cena would invoke his rematch clause at Night of Champions in which Cena won via disqualification after Seth Rollins got involved.[241] Cena then began feuding with Dean Ambrose for the right to face Rollins at Hell in a Cell, but Ambrose got that right after beating Cena in a No Holds Barred Contract on a Pole match, after which they shook hands in respect. Cena would instead face Randy Orton in a Hell in a Cell match to determine the number one contender to face Lesnar for the World Title, which Cena won by sending Orton into a table with an AA from the top turnbuckle.
Other media
Film
Cena, with members of the United States Marine Corps, at the premiere of his film The Marine.
Cena filming on the set of 12 Rounds.
Cena co-starred in his third film produced by WWE Studios, titled Legendary, which was played in selected theaters starting on September 10, 2010, for a limited time,[245] then it was released on DVD on September 28, 2010.[246]
That same year, Cena starred in the children's film Fred: The Movie, a film based on Lucas Cruikshank's YouTube videos of the same name, where he plays Fred's father.[247] The movie was released on the Nickelodeon channel in September 2010.[248]
Guest appearances
Before his WWE début, Cena made an appearance on the Internet stream show Go Sick as Bruebaker, an angry, cursing wrestler in 2001.[249]
Cena in 2008.
In January 2007, Cena, Batista, and Ashley Massaro appeared representing WWE on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,[251] giving the children of the family whose house was being renovated WWE merchandise and eight tickets to WrestleMania 23.[252] Two months later, he and Bobby Lashley appeared on the NBC game show Deal or No Deal as "moral support" to long time WWE fan and front row staple, Rick "Sign Guy" Achberger. Edge and Randy Orton also appeared, but as antagonists.[253] On April 9, 2008, Cena, along with fellow wrestlers Triple H and Chris Jericho, appeared on the Idol Gives Back fund-raising special.[254] In March 2009, Cena made an appearance on Saturday Night Live during the show's cold opening sequence.[255] On March 7, 2009, he was a guest on NPR's quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in a Not My Job sequence titled "Sure, pro wrestling is a good gig, but when you win, do they throw teddy bears into the ring?"[256]
Television
In 2001, between his training in Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling,[26] Cena was involved in the UPN produced reality show Manhunt. Cena portrayed Big Tim Kingman, leader of the group of bounty hunters who chased down the contestants who acted as fugitives. The show, however, was mired in controversy when it was alleged that the portions of the show were rigged to eliminate certain players, scenes were re-shot or staged to enhance drama and contestants read from scripts.[257][258][259]Cena was featured on the ABC reality series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, which aired in June 2007,[260] making it to the final round before being eliminated on June 24, placing third in the competition overall.[261]
In 2007, Cena was interviewed for the CNN Special Investigations Unit documentary, Death Grip: Inside Pro Wrestling, which focused on steroid and drug use in professional wrestling. When asked if he had taken steroids he was heard to reply, "I can't tell you that I haven't, but you'll never prove that I have."[262] The day after the documentary aired, WWE accused CNN of taking Cena's comments out of context to present a biased point of view, backing up their claim by posting an unedited video of Cena answering the same question – filmed by WWE cameras from another angle – in which he is heard beginning the same statement with "absolutely not".[263] A text interview on the website with Cena later had him saying the news outlet should apologize for misrepresenting him,[264] which CNN refused, saying they felt the true answer to the question began with the phrase "my answer to that question".[265] They did, however, edit the documentary on subsequent airings to include the "absolutely not".[265]
Cena hosted the Australian Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards with Natalie Bassingthwaighte on October 11, 2008 in Melbourne.[266]
Cena guest starred as Ewan O'Hara, brother of Juliet O'Hara, in an episode of the fourth season of the comedy drama Psych.[267] He also guest starred as himself in the seventh episode of Disney Channel's Hannah Montana Forever.
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Cena signing merchandise for a young fan.
Cena posing with children.
Endorsements
Cena at Fort Bragg on December 9, 2011.
In 2009, Cena expanded his relationship with Gillette by introducing a new online campaign called "Be A Superstar" featuring himself alongside fellow WWE wrestlers Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes. The campaign features motivational videos.[276]
Fashion
For the extent of his WWE career, Cena's attire has attempted to reflect the most current fashions and stylings within the hip hop culture that his character represents. Cena started out wearing "throwback jerseys" until WWE produced specific Cena merchandise which he began wearing.[277] While Cena was a member of the SmackDown! brand, one of his WWE produced t-shirts bore the suggestive spoonerism "Ruck Fules". Whenever it appeared on television the image was censored, not by the network, but by WWE to sell more shirts under the premise that it was "too hot for TV."[278] He also wore a chain with a large padlock, occasionally using it as a weapon,[279] until WrestleMania 21, when it was replaced with a chromed and diamond studded "Chain Gang" spinner medallion—reminiscent of the ones worn by members of G-Unit—matching his spinner title belt.Around the time The Marine was released, Cena began wearing attire more military related, including camouflage shorts, dog tags, a Marine soldier cap and a WWE produced shirt with the legend "Chain Gang Assault Battalion."[280] Shortly after WrestleMania 23, when promotion for The Marine ended, the military attire diminished and was replaced with apparel bearing his new slogan "American Made Muscle" along with denim shorts, not seen since he was a member of the SmackDown roster.[281] He then wore shirts that promoted Cenation and his trademark line "You Can't See Me." From late 2011 until Wrestlemania XXVIII, Cena again switched to camo shorts (honoring the U.S. Armed Forces), to coinincide with his black "Rise Above Hate" T-shirt promoting WWE's "Be a Star" anti-bullying campaign. On September 16, 2012, Cena débuted a new pink and black t-shirt and cap combo with the phrase "Rise Above Cancer" that he wore through October in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure in honor of breast cancer awareness month.
Music
Main article: John Cena Discography
| John Cena | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Felix Anthony Cena |
| Born | April 23, 1977 West Newbury, Massachusetts |
| Origin | West Newbury, Massachusetts |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 2004–2005, 2014 |
| Labels | Columbia Records, WWE Music Group |
| Associated acts | Tha Trademarc, Jake One, Wiz Khalifa |
 |
"The Time is Now" by John Cena & Tha Trademarc (2005)
Sample from "The Time Is Now" by John Cena & Tha Trademarc.
|
| Problems playing this file? See media help. | |
Cena's début album, You Can't See Me, was recorded with his cousin Tha Trademarc. It features, amongst other songs, his entrance theme, "The Time is Now", and the single "Bad, Bad Man", for which a music video was made that parodied 1980s culture, including the television show The A-Team. A video was also made for the second single, "Right Now," and premiered on the August 8 Raw. Cena and Tha Trademarc were later featured on a track by The Perceptionists named "Champion Scratch." Cena will appear on Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins' upcoming album Still Cool featuring other guests.[283]
In October 2014, Cena was featured on two songs with rapper Wiz Khalifa for his two singles "All Day" and "Breaks" for the soundtrack to the WWE 2K15 video game.[284]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Ready to Rumble | Gym Trainer | Uncredited extra |
| 2006 | The Marine | John Triton | |
| 2009 | 12 Rounds | Danny Fisher | |
| 2010 | Legendary | Mike Chetley | |
| 2010 | Fred: The Movie | Fred's Imaginary Dad | |
| 2011 | The Reunion | Sam Cleary | |
| 2011 | Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred | Fred's Imaginary Dad | |
| 2012 | Fred 3: Camp Fred | Fred's Imaginary Dad | |
| 2014 | Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery | Himself | (voice) |
| 2015 | Trainwreck | Post-production | |
| 2015 | The Nest | Filming |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Tracy Morgan/Kelly Clarkson (season 34: episode 18) |
| 2010 | Psych | Ewan O'Hara | "You Can't Handle This Episode" (season 4: episode 10) |
| True Jackson, VP | Himself | "Pajama Party" (season 2: episode 12) | |
| Hannah Montana | Himself | "Love That Lets Go" (season 4: episode 9) | |
| Generator Rex | Hunter Cain | Voice role "The Hunter" (season 1: episode 13) |
|
| 2012 | Fred: The Show | Freds Dad | Recurring role |
- Non-acting appearances
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Manhunt | |
| 2007 | Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race | |
| 2013–present | Total Divas | appearing with girlfriend Nikki Bella |
Personal life
Cena's father, John Cena, Sr.
He has also said he is a fan of the video game series Command & Conquer and noted that it was his favorite game.[287] Cena is also a fan of the Boston Red Sox,[286] Tampa Bay Rays,[288] Los Angeles Dodgers,[289] New England Patriots,[290] Boston Celtics[286] and English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.[291] Cena collects muscle cars and has over 20, some of which are one-of-a-kind.[3]
While promoting his 2009 film, 12 Rounds, Cena announced his engagement[292][293] to his girlfriend Elizabeth Huberdeau. They were married on July 11, 2009. On May 1, 2012, Cena filed for divorce,[294] which was finalized on July 18th.[295] In November 2012, TMZ reported that Cena is dating WWE Diva Nikki Bella.[296]
In wrestling
Cena performs an Attitude Adjustment on Kane
Cena performing Spin-out powerbomb on Alex Riley.
Cena traps Mark Henry in the STF.
Cena delivers the Five Knuckle Shuffle to Dolph Ziggler.
Cena's delivers his signature taunt, "You Can't See Me", to Chris Masters.
- Finishing moves
- AA – Attitude Adjustment / FU[290][297] (Standing fireman's carry transitioned into a kneeling takeover,[298] sometimes from an elevated position or preceded by a scoop lift) – 2003–present
- Killswitch / Protobomb / Protoplex (Spin-out powerbomb) (OVW/UPW); used as a signature move in WWE[299]
- STF / STFU[297] (Stepover toehold facelock or a sleeper hold lock)[300] – 2005–present
- Signature moves
- DDT[301]
- Diving crossbody[302]
- Diving leg drop bulldog[301]
- Dropkick, sometimes from the top rope[8][301]
- Elbow drop[303]
- Emerald Flowsion[301]
- Five Knuckle Shuffle[304] (Running delayed fist drop, with "U ₡ ME" theatrics, sometimes diving from the top rope)
- Half nelson dropped into a neckbreaker[301][302][305] – 2013
- Hurricanrana[301]
- Lariat[301]
- Monkey flip[306]
- Multiple suplex variations
- Belly-to-back[301]
- Fisherman[8]
- Gutwrench[301][307]
- Side belly-to-belly[308]
- Vertical, sometimes while delaying[309]
- Running leaping shoulder block[8]
- Running one–handed bulldog[310]
- Sitout hip toss[8]
- Sitout powerbomb[301][311]
- Spinebuster[8] – 2002–2005; used rarely thereafter
- Throwback[8] (Running neck snap to a bent–over opponent) – 2002–2011
- Nicknames
- "The Cenation Leader"[312]
- "The Champ"[313] (as champion)
- "The Chain Gang Soldier"[266]
- "The Doctor of Thuganomics"[314]
- "Mr. Money in the Bank"
- "The Face of the WWE"
- Managers
- Kenny Bolin[8]
- B²
- Redd Dogg
- Mr. McMahon
- Shawn Michaels
- Maria Kanellis
- Entrance themes
- "Slam Smack" by R. Hardy (FirstCom Production Music) (June 27, 2002 – November 7, 2002)[315]
- "Insert Bass Here" by DJ Case (FirstCom Production Music) (November 14, 2002 – February 13, 2003)[316]
- "Basic Thuganomics" by John Cena (March 27, 2003 – March 10, 2005; April 5, 2009 for his entrance at WrestleMania XXV; March 12, 2012 for his "Cena rap" against The Rock)
- "We Are One" by 12 Stones (October 3, 2010 – November 21, 2010; used while a part of Nexus)
- "The Time Is Now" by John Cena and Tha Trademarc (March 17, 2005–present)
Championships and accomplishments
Cena as World Heavyweight Champion.
- Ohio Valley Wrestling
- OVW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[34]
- OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time)[36] – with Rico Constantino
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- PWI Feud of the Year (2006) vs. Edge[317]
- PWI Feud of the Year (2011) vs. CM Punk[318]
- PWI Match of the Year (2007) vs. Shawn Michaels on Raw on April 23[319]
- PWI Match of the Year (2011) vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank[320]
- PWI Match of the Year (2013) vs. Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam[321]
- PWI Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2003)[322]
- PWI Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2004, 2005, 2007, 2012)[323]
- PWI Wrestler of the Year (2006, 2007)[324]
- PWI ranked #1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2006, 2007, and 2013[325][326][327]
- Ultimate Pro Wrestling
- UPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)[31]
- World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
- WWE Championship/WWE World Heavyweight Championship (12 times)[328]
- World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[329]
- WWE United States Championship (3 times)[330]
- World Tag Team Championship (2 times)[331] – with Batista (1) and Shawn Michaels (1)
- WWE Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with The Miz (1) and David Otunga (1)[148]
- Money in the Bank (2012 - WWE Championship contract)
- Royal Rumble winner (2008, 2013)
- Slammy Award for Superstar of the Year – 2009, 2010, and 20121
- Slammy Award for Holy $#!+ Move of the Year (2010) – Sends Batista through the stage with an Attitude Adjustment.
- Slammy Award for Game Changer of the Year (2011) – with The Rock
- Slammy Award for Insult of the Year (2012) - To Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero: "You're the exact opposite. One enjoys eating a lot of nuts and the other is still trying to find his."
- Slammy Award for Kiss of the Year (2012) – with AJ Lee
- Slammy Award for Match of the Year (2013) - vs. The Rock for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- 5 Star Match (2011) vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank on July 17
- Wrestler of the Year (2007, 2010)[332]
- Best Box Office Draw (2007)[332]
- Best Gimmick (2003)[332]
- Best on Interviews (2007)[332]
- Feud of the Year (2011)[333] vs. CM Punk
- Match of the Year (2011)[333] vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank on July 17
- Most Charismatic (2006–2010)[332]
- Most Charismatic of the Decade (2000–2009)[334]
- Wrestler of the Year (2007, 2010)
- Worst Feud of the Year (2012) vs. Kane[335]
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2012) vs. John Laurinaitis at Over the Limit on May 20[335]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2012)[336]
