It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that WWE champion John Cena is the face of modern professional wrestling. With an impressive film career, Cena is on a path that mirrors that of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, blending wrestling fame with Hollywood success. However, the journey to WWE stardom was not a walk in the park. Cena worked tirelessly and persevered through numerous challenges to reach the pinnacle of success. In this article, we will explore the lesser-known aspects of Cena's life before he became a household name.
Many fans might not realize that John Cena has a background filled with struggles and determination. From being bullied as a child to trying various careers, Cena's story is a testament to resilience and hard work. His early life was marked by challenges that shaped him into the superstar he is today. Let’s take a closer look at the key events that influenced his rise to fame.
| Personal Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Name | John Felix Anthony Cena |
| Date of Birth | April 23, 1977 |
| Birthplace | West Newbury, Massachusetts, USA |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) |
| Profession | Professional Wrestler, Actor, Television Presenter |
Table of Contents
- He Was Bullied as a Kid
- He Liked Football Better Than Wrestling
- He Tried to Become a Cop
- He Was a Terrible Limo Driver
- He Entered Pizza-Eating Contests Because He Was Broke
- He Almost Joined the Marines
- Cleaning Toilets Put Him on the Path to Wrestling
- His First Wrestling Name Was Appropriate
- Vince McMahon Wasn't Impressed With Him
- He Bought Way Too Many Tights and Boots
- Stephanie McMahon Saved His Job
- From Rags to Riches
He Was Bullied as a Kid
While teaming up with Crocs for the Come As You Are campaign that encourages people to be themselves and embrace their differences, Cena revealed that he was bullied as a kid, which directly resulted in him becoming the ripped WWE star he is today.
"I remember the walk to the school bus, at the very least, five times, shoved down, toppled down," Cena said in the campaign video (via Fox News). "I asked my dad, 'Is it okay if I start working out?' By the time I showed up at high school, I was big. The guys who were pushing me down were kind of like, 'We cool?'
Believe it or not, the muscle-bound wrestler was actually a scrawny kid at age 12, but he told Men's Fitness that he was the strongest kid in his high school by age 15. "Keep in mind, I wasn't in, like, the big city," he told the magazine. "I was in West Newbury [MA], and to be the strongest person in West Newbury, that's a very, very average accolade."
He Liked Football Better Than Wrestling
While growing up in Massachusetts, Cena's father was a huge fan of professional wrestling and he loved taking his sons to see WWF matches in the "cheap seats" at Boston Garden, according to the Huffington Post. But while Cena enjoyed watching the greats like Hulk Hogan and "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan and reenacting their moves like a lot of young boys growing up in the '80s, he told the HuffPost that he was actually more interested in "proving himself on the baseball diamond or football field than in the wrestling ring."
But as Men Fitness reports, Cena quickly learned in college that football wasn't going to be a viable career option because of one problem you probably wouldn't expect: "I was way too small."
Despite his infamous build and 6' 1" height, the WWE great still wasn't big enough for the professional gridiron. So he set his sights on California where he unfortunately learned that there were way more careers than football that weren't the best fit.
He Tried to Become a Cop
After graduating with a bachelor's in exercise physiology, which he described to ABC News as an "easy degree" in working out, Cena headed to Santa Monica at 21 years old to be around the bodybuilding scene in Venice Beach and also to spite his father, who said he wouldn't last two weeks.
"I wish I had four hands to hold up four middle fingers to my dad [at the time]," Cena said. "'You don't know nothing, old man.' So, I left with 500 bucks and an Army duffle bag, and hit ground in Santa Monica and just started working. No career, just working a job to make money to stay out there to spite my father and the jobs were taking me nowhere. I took the California Highway Patrol exam and didn't pass, so I tried to be a cop and failed."
He Was a Terrible Limo Driver
As Cena struggled to make ends meet in California, he picked up an odd job as a chauffeur, which he learned very quickly is not an easy job. Especially when you just moved to a big city and have no idea where you're going.
"I worked as a limo driver for a while, and it was before GPS was commonplace, like you still had to go off a map," Cena told AskMen. "And I was not good. At all. I grew up in a small town that's got one street. One main street, so I knew how to get around that town. I was doing pickups to and from Logan Airport, and I was just rotten. I wasn't meant to be a limo driver."
But the experience did teach Cena how to take an insult, which would definitely come in handy years later when he'd be relentlessly taunted by opponents in the ring week after week.
He Entered Pizza-Eating Contests Because He Was Broke
After failed attempts in law enforcement and limo driving, Cena was significantly strapped for cash and had to resort to pulling off some superhuman feats just to eat.
"I'm a Zeppy's pizza-eating champion," Cena told Centerstage with Michael Kay (via Wrestle Zone). "That was a place that closed down on Hermosa Beach (California) and I was broke and didn't have any food, and they had a promotion, they had really thick dish pizza, if you ate a whole pizza, you'd get the pizza free. So, I went in there on a lunch break and crushed a pizza in about 20 minutes and the (pizza parlor) guy's face dropped. He didn't realize that I was broke and hungry, so I went back the next day and did the same thing."
He Almost Joined the Marines
This next part of Cena's early history can be a controversial topic for some wrestling fans and veterans. To promote his 2006 movie, The Marine, Cena began incorporating dog tags and military elements into his WWE uniform and entrances, making fans have question for years what branch Cena served in. The answer is none.
However, according to WWE.com, Cena "holds the Armed Forces in the highest esteem" and his nightly salute is "a sign of respect to the men and women that don the uniform." In fact, Cena almost joined the Marines while struggling in California, and he knew that if he was going to serve his country, it was going to be with the toughest soldiers there are.
Cleaning Toilets Put Him on the Path to Wrestling
While refusing to back down and return home to Massachusetts, Cena landed a job at a gym cleaning toilets while living out of his car. Despite working his way up and even starring in a commercial for the franchise, Cena was about to enlist in the Marines until fate stepped in.
"I used to work at Gold's Fitness. I would work the front desk," he told ABC News. "I was the mayor. I knew everybody... That
