"Word Life" redirects here, for the O.C. album see Word...Life.

John Cena
Born	(1977-04-23) April 23, 1977 (age 47) West Newbury, Massachusetts, USA [1]
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)	The Prototype Mr. P[2] John Cena
Billed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[1]
Billed weight	[undue weight? – discuss][1]
Billed from	West Newbury, Massachusetts
Trained by	UPW Staff OVW Staff
Debut	February 16, 2000

John Felix Anthony Cena^[4] (born April 23, 1977)^[5] is an American professional wrestler, hip hop musician and actor. He is signed to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), wrestling on its RAW brand, where he is the reigning WWE Champion.^[6] In WWE, he is also a three-time United States Champion and a one-time World Tag Team Champion.^[7][8]

Before being called up to the main WWE roster, Cena wrestled in both Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling. He won the top titles in both promotions.^[9][10] Aside from professional wrestling, Cena has released the rap album You Can't See Me, which debuted at #15 on the US Billboard 200,^[11] and starred in the movie The Marine.

Biography

Pre-wrestling

Cena was born on April 23 1977 in West Newbury, Massachusetts^[5] the second eldest of five brothers -- Dan, Matt, Steve, and Sean.^[12] He graduated from Cushing Academy before attending Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts.^[13] In college he was a Division III All-American center on the football team,^[14] wearing the number 54,^[13] which is still used on some of his WWE merchandise.^[15][16] He graduated from Springfield in 1998 with a degree in exercise physiology^[17] pursuing a career as a bodybuilder,^[18] as well as working as a chauffeur for a limousine company before becoming involved in professional wrestling.^[19]

Wrestling training

Cena first started training to become a wrestler in 2000 at the California-based "Ultimate University" operated by Ultimate Pro Wrestling. Once he was placed into an in-ring role he began using a semi-robotic character known as the The Prototype.^[20][21] Some of this period of his career was documented in the Discovery Channel program Wrestling School.^[22] While in UPW, Cena held the Heavyweight Championship for just shy of a month in April of 2000.^[9] In 2001 the World Wrestling Federation signed him away from UPW, placing him under a developmental contract and assigning him to their "farm territory" Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) where he continued his training.^[23] During his time there he wrestled under his Prototype name and the name Mr. P and held the Heavyweight Championship for three months and the Tag Team Championships (with Rico Constantino) for two.^[24][10][25]

World Wrestling Entertainment

2002-2003

Cena's first televised WWE match was in answer to a (kayfabe) open challenge by Kurt Angle on June 27 2002. Inspired by a speech given by WWE CEO Vince McMahon to the rising stars of the company, exhorting them to show "ruthless aggression" to earn a place among the legends, Cena took advantage of the opportunity and almost beat Angle by kicking out of his Angle Slam and enduring the ankle lock submission hold,^[26] though he ultimately lost to a hard, amateur-style pin.^[26] Following the near-win, Cena became a face and engaged in a small program with Chris Jericho.^[27][28] In October, Cena and Billy Kidman joined forces to take part in a tag team tournament to crown the first WWE Tag Team Champions of the SmackDown! brand, but lost in the first round.^[29] The next week, Cena turned on and attack Kidman, blaming him for their loss.^[30]

Shortly after his the Kidman attack, on a Halloween themed episode of SmackDown!, Cena dressed as Vanilla Ice and performed a freestyle rap for Stephanie McMahon during a backstage segment.^[31] The next week, Cena's gimmick was changed to him being a rapper who cut promos in rhyme.^[32] As the gimmick grew he adopted a variant of the 80s WWF logo -- dropping the "F" -- along with the slogan "Word Life" as his "signature symbol".^[33] Moreover, he was joined by an enforcer, Bull Buchanan, who was rechristened B-2 (also written as B², pronounced "B-Squared").^[34][35] Buchanan was later replaced by Rodney Mack under the moniker "Red Dogg,"^[36] though he was sent to the RAW brand in February.

For the first half of 2003, Cena sought the WWE Championship and chased the champion; Brock Lesnar, performing weekly "freestyles" challenging him to matches.^[37][38][39] During the feud, Cena unveiled a new finishing maneuver, the FU (a Fireman's carry powerslam) so named to mock Lesnar's F5.^[40] He finally got his match at April's Backlash by winning a #1 contenders tournament,^[41] but did not win the title.^[42] He finished out the year by engaging in feuds with Brian "Spanky" Kendrick^[43][44] and Kurt Angle,^[45][46] only to suddenly join Angle on a winning Survivor Series team at the annual November pay-per-view.^[47][48]

2004-2005

To start 2004, Cena participated in the Royal Rumble match at the annual January pay-per-view event,^[49] making it to the final six participants before being eliminated by the Big Show.^[50] The Big Show eliminating him started a feud between the two of them,^[51][52] during which Cena won the United States title from him at WrestleMania XX in March.^[53] During his reign he came into contention with SmackDown! General Manager Kurt Angle over issues arising with René Duprée and Torrie Wilson on an episode of the program.^[54] The reign ended just shy of four months when, on July 8, he was "stripped" of the belt by Angle after he (kayfabe - accidentally) knocked him over.^[55] He won the title back by defeating Booker T in a "best of five" series that culminated at October's No Mercy,^[56], only to lose it to the debuting Carlito Caribbean Cool the next week.^[57] That loss to Carlito started a new feud, during which Cena was (kayfabe) stabbed in the kidney while at a Boston area nightclub by Carlito's bodyguard, Jesús.^[58][59] The "injury" kept Cena out of action for a month, during which Cena was actually filming his feature film debut The Marine.^[24] Immediately upon his return in November, he won the US title back from Carlito,^[60] then debuted a "custom made" spinner style title belt.^[61]

Cena took part in the Royal Rumble in January 2005, this time making it to the final two. Both he and RAW brand wrestler Batista went over the top rope at the same time, ostensibly ending the match.^[62] However, Vince McMahon appeared on stage and the match in "sudden death", which Batista eventually won.^[62] The next month Cena defeated Kurt Angle to earn a spot in SmackDown!'s WrestleMania 21 main event,^[63] beginning a feud with WWE Champion John Bradshaw (JBL) Layfield and his Cabinet in the process. In the opening stages of the feud he lost his US belt to Cabinet member Orlando Jordan,^[64] who proceeded to "blow up" the spinner version with JBL and return a more traditional style belt.^[65] When Cena and JBL met at WrestleMania, the title switched hands, giving Cena his first top title in the company.^[66] As part of the storyline, he then had a spinner WWE Championship belt made,^[67] while JBL took the original belt and claimed to still be WWE Champion.^[68] Cena reclaimed that belt following an "I Quit" match at Judgment Day in May, putting a stop to JBL's claims for good.^[69]

Cena's SmackDown! tenure came to a close on the June 6 RAW, when he became the first wrestler selected by General Manager Eric Bischoff in the annual draft lottery. Upon arriving on the RAW brand, Cena entered a program against Bischoff when he refused to participate in his "war" against the upcoming Extreme Championship Wrestling reunion show.^[70] With Bischoff vowing to make Cena's stint on RAW difficult, he "hand choose" Jericho to take Cena's title from him,^[71] pitting them in matches until the August 22 RAW, during which Cena beat Jericho in a "You're Fired" match, sending him off the show. Immediately after the match, however, Cena was attacked by Kurt Angle, whom Bischoff revealed was his new "hand picked" number one contender for the WWE championship.^[72] After several weeks, Cena and Angle had a match as the main-event of Unforgiven that ended with Cena hitting Angle with the title belt and losing by disqualification -- though keeping the belt as titles don't change hands because of a disqualification.^[73] The two met again at Survivor Series the next month, with Cena picking up a "clean" win (no disqualification) this time.^[74] The night after Survivor Series, Cena took part in a triple threat submission match, which he won by debuting his new submission finisher, the STFU.^[75]

Cena's feuds with Chris Jericho and Kurt Angle -- two of the more popular stars of the brand -- found him slowly getting less of the positive crowd reaction he was use to and he began to experience more and more boos as time went on.^[76] As the boos grew steadily louder in arenas WWE announcers were forced to reference them on screen by calling Cena a "controversial" champion and saying some people disliked his in ring style and fashion.^[77][78]

2006-2007

2006 started with Cena defending his WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber at New Year's Revolution, the first pay-per-view of the year. Immediately after the match, however, Vince McMahon appeared on stage to announce that Edge was cashing in the Money in the Bank contract he'd won at WrestleMania 21 the previous April. During the impromptu match, an exhausted Cena took two quick spears from Edge and was pinned in short order, losing the match and his title.^[79] Cena's championship reign ended at 280 days, matching the length of previous champion JBL.^[80] Three weeks later, Cena won the title back from Edge at the Royal Rumble.^[81]

On the May 22 episode of RAW, Rob Van Dam informed Cena that he intended to cash in the newest Money in the Bank contract, which he'd won at WrestleMania 22, for a match at the upcoming ECW One Night Stand event.^[82] At the ECW event, Cena received an overwhelmingly negative reaction. Fans brought signs expressing extreme distaste for him, including one that read "If Cena wins, we riot." During the match, fans chanted "Fuck you Cena," "You still suck," "Same old shit," and "You can't wrestle." Cena lost the match and his title after Edge emerged from under the ring and speared him through a table, leaving him vulnerable to a Five-Star Frog Splash and cover from Van Dam.^[83] Paul Heyman counted the pinfall and then announced that the title change was official on the next night's RAW.^[84] Both of Cena's championship losses in 2006 were to Money in the Bank winners.^[79][82]

In July, when Edge won the title from Van Dam in a Triple Threat match that also involved Cena,^[85] it re-ignited the feud between him and Cena from earlier in the year. The opening stages of the new feud had Edge taking shortcuts in order to keep his title (intentionally losing by disqualification).^[86] Subsequently, a match was made for SummerSlam with the stipulation that if Edge was disqualified, he would not only lose the match, but his title, as well. At SummerSlam, Edge defeated Cena in Cena's home state of Massachusetts, pinning him after hitting him with a pair of brass knuckles while the referee was distracted.^[87] The next night, Edge unveiled his own version of the spinner belt, with his own "Rated R" logo.^[88] Cena eventually received "one last shot" at Edge's belt, promising that if he lost, he would leave RAW.^[89] Cena won the match, a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at Unforgiven in Edge's hometown of Toronto, Ontario, Canada (Edge was heavily cheered during the match) by delivering a FU to Edge through two stacked tables from the top of a ladder.^[90] The next night, he brought back his spinner belt.^[91]

Following the Edge feud, Cena was placed in an inter-brand program to determine the "Champion of Champions" (or who was the most dominate champion within WWE's three brands). Cena, King Booker (SmackDown!'s World Heavyweight Champion), and the Big Show (ECW's World Champion) engaged in a mini-feud leading to a match at Cyber Sunday, where the viewers voted on which of the three championships would be placed on the line.^[92] At the same time, Cena became involved with Kevin Federline when he began appearing on RAW with Johnny Nitro and Melina. After getting into a (worked) physical altercation with Federline on RAW,^[93] Federline appeared at Cyber Sunday, hitting Cena with the World Heavyweight Title belt during the main event Triple Threat match helping King Booker retain his title (which the fans had voted to be on the line).^[94] Cena and the Big Show continued their feud after Cyber Sunday, with each of them captaining a team for a traditional Survivor Series match at the 2006 event. Team Cena -- Cena, Sabu, Rob Van Dam, Bobby Lashley, and Kane -- defeated Team Big Show -- the Big Show, Test, Finlay, Montel Vontavious Porter, and Umaga -- with only Cena and Lashley surviving.^[95]

2006 ended with Cena beginning a feud with the undefeated Umaga over the WWE Championship,^[96] while 2007 began with his feud with Kevin Federline ending. In 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 to FU him.^[97] At New Year's Revolution Cena and Umaga clashed, with Cena emerging victorious, keeping his title and ending Umaga's undefeated streak in the process.^[98] On a RAW before a scheduled Last Man Standing match rematch could take place at Royal Rumble, Umaga put Cena through a table, causing a (worked) spleen injury.^[99] After (kayfabe) refusing to accept medical treatment for fear of a medical suspension, Cena defeated Umaga with the STFU, simultaneously choking him with a ring rope that had been removed by Umaga's manager, Armando Alejandro Estrada.^[100]

One night after the Royal Rumble, the 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.^[101] On the April 2 episode of RAW, after losing a WWE title match to Cena at WrestleMania 23,^[102] Michaels turned on Cena and cost them the Tag Team title in the second of two 10 team battles royals -- throwing his own partner over the top rope and eliminating the team, clearing the way for The Hardys (Matt and Jeff) to take the title.^[103]

Starting on the April 30 episode of RAW, The Great Khali declared his intentions to challenge for Cena's title. After laying out the top three contenders,^[104] he assaulted Cena and stole the (physical) belt.^[105] However, Cena was able to make him submit with the STFU at Judgment Day, becoming the first person to defeat Khali by submission.^[106][107] The next night, a rematch was signed for the upcoming One Night Stand when video tape revealed Khali's foot broke the plane of the ropes (submissions are supposed to be broken if the plane is broken).At One Night Stand, in a Falls Count Anywhere match, Cena became the first person to pin Khali in WWE.^[108]Cena appeared the next night on raw which was the raw draft night and was beaten by edge the world heavyweight champion from smackdown to give smackdown their first draft pick which was chosen to be THE GREAT KHALI a former rival of John Cena. Later that night it was announced that all previous champions which were on RAW were eligible for a match at Vengeance:Night of champions with John Cena.the former champions who challenged Cena were Randy orton, Mick Foley, King Booker and former ECW champion Bobby Lashley who had been stripped of his title that very same night. John Cena defeated Randy orton, Mick Foley, King Booker and former ECW champion Bobby Lashley to retain his gold.^[109]

In wrestling

• Finishing and signature moves
  • FU (Fireman's carry powerslam)
  • STFU (Stepover toehold sleeper)
  • Five Knuckle Shuffle (Fist drop with theatrics)
  • Throwback (Running neck snap on a standing opponent)
  • Freestyle / Protoplex (Jumping release fisherman suplex)
  • Killswitch / Protobomb (Spin-out powerbomb)
  • Flying shoulder block
  • Twisting belly to belly side slam
  • Repeating clotheslines
  • Spinebuster
  • Sitout hiptoss
  • Running one handed bulldog
  • Diving leg drop bulldog

• Signature foreign objects
  • Steel chain
  • Brass knuckles

• Nicknames
  • The Doctor of Thugonomics
  • The Champ
  • The Chain Gang Soldier
  • The Marine

• Signature taunts
  • Waving his hand in front of his face, horizontally, to symbolize that "You can't see me!" (2002-Present)
  • Pumping up his Reebok Pump sneakers. (2004-2006)
  • Putting his hands up while spreading them and putting his thumb sideways and his pinky up, meaning "Word Life". (2002-Present)
  • "Freestyling" on his opponents before his matches. (2002-2006)
  • Military salute to the audience. (2006-2007)

• Entrance music
  • Cena performed both his fifth and sixth theme songs, "Basic Thuganomics" and "The Time Is Now". Both songs were later released on CDs (Themeaddict and You Can't See Me respectively).

• Manager
  • Kenny Bolin

• Five Questions
  • Cena hosted a segment on WWE.com entitled "Five Questions with The Champ" — "Five Questions with John Cena" while he wasn't champion — every week. Five questions sent in by fans via e-mail were picked at random and answered by Cena on camera. During the segment, whenever Cena cursed, an image of the Brooklyn Brawler appeared and the word was "replaced" with him saying "Brawler", "Brooklyn Brawler", "No, no, no" or "Nu-Uh!". The show was canceled after the December 29, 2006 episode.^[110]

Championships and accomplishments

• Ohio Valley Wrestling
  • OVW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[10]
  • OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Rico Constantino^[25]
• Pro Wrestling Illustrated
  • Ranked #1 in the PWI 500 for 2006^[111]
  • Feud of the Year – with Edge (2006)^[112]
  • Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2003)^[113]
  • Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (twice; 2004, 2005)^[114]
  • Wrestler of the Year (2006)^[115]
• Ultimate Pro Wrestling
  • UPW Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[9]
• World Wrestling Entertainment
  • WWE Championship (3 times, current)^[116]
  • WWE United States Championship (3 times)^[7]
  • World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with Shawn Michaels^[8]

Outside of wrestling

Music

In addition to his time in the ring, Cena is a hip hop musician. He performed his fifth WWE theme song, "Basic Thugonomics," himself, and it was later featured on the WWE soundtrack album WWE Originals. Another of his tracks, "Untouchables", was featured on WWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6, another WWE soundtrack album. He also collaborated on the song H-U-S-T-L-E remix along with MURS, E-40, and Chingo Bling.^[117] Because of his music, Cena is the only professional wrestler to ever perform on BBC Two's long running Top of the Pops.

His debut album, You Can't See Me, was recorded with his cousin Tha Trademarc. It features, amongst other songs, his current 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 second video was later made for the second single, "Right Now," and premiered on the August 8 edition of RAW. Cena and Tha Trademarc were later featured on a track by The Perceptionists named "Champion Scratch."^[118]

Albums

Singles

• DNC = Did not chart

Fashion

For the extent of his WWE career, Cena's attire has reflected the hip hop culture that his character represents. He previously wore "throwback jerseys," though now he generally wears WWE produced "Chain Gang" merchandise.^[119] While he 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 UPN, but by WWE to sell more shirts under the premise that it was "too hot for TV."^[120] He also wore a chain with a large padlock on it to the ring on SmackDown!, occasionally using it as a weapon,^[121] 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 Cena's film, The Marine, was released he 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."

Acting

Commercials

Beginning in October 2003, Cena was featured rapping in a commercial for the energy drink YJ Stinger.^[122] In November 2006, he filmed a number of advertisements with Subway spokesperson Jared Fogle for Subway restaurants,^[123] which began airing in January 2007.

Film

WWE Films, a division of World Wrestling Entertainment which produces and finances motion pictures, produced Cena's first movie - The Marine, which was distributed theatrically by 20th Century Fox America beginning on October 13 2006. In The Marine, John Cena stars as John Triton, a Marine who returns from the war in Iraq to find his wife has been kidnapped. In its first week, the film made approximately $7 million at the United States box office.^[124] After a total of ten weeks in theaters, the film grossed $18.7 million.^[124] However, once the film was released on DVD, it faired better by making $30 million in rentals in the first twelve weeks.^[124]

Guest appearances

Prior to his WWE debut, Cena made a guest appearance on the Internet stream show Go Sick in 2001 as Bruebaker, an angry, cursing wrestler.^[125]

During his WWE career, Cena has appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live numerous times. He first appeared on the July 23 2005 episode in order to promote his CD, the 2005 SummerSlam pay-per-view, and WWE in general. He appeared again on March 14, 2006 to promote Saturday Night's Main Event and WrestleMania 22. He has also appeared on popular morning radio shows; including both the CBS and XM versions of Opie and Anthony as part of their "walkover" on October 10, 2006.

Other appearances have included Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Fuse's Celebrity Playlist, Fox Sports Net's Best Damn Sports Show Period, MADtv, G4's Training Camp (with Shelton Benjamin) and two appearances on MTV's Punk'd (August 2006 and May 2007), as the victim of a practical joke. He's also served as a co-presenter, with Hulk Hogan, at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards, and as a guest judge on Nashville Star. In March 2007, 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.^[126]

Television

In 2001, during his training in Ohio Valley Wrestling Cena was involved in the jointly WWF/E and UPN produced reality show Manhunt, portraying the shows "lead hunter", Big Tim Kingman. The show was cancelled after only six episodes when it was revealed that scenes were re-shot or staged to enhance drama, contests were rigged to eliminate specific contestants, and contestants read from scripts. World Wrestling Entertainment has never mentioned the show or Cena's part in it.^{[127][128][129][18]}

He was also featured on the ABC reality series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, which began airing in June 2007.^[130]

Personal life

Cena writes left-handed,^[131] but throws right-handed and favors his right arm in the ring. He is a known fan of cartoons and has mentioned on "Five Questions" that his favorite animated movie is Fist of the North Star. He has also said that he is a huge fan of the video game series Command & Conquer and names it his favorite game of all time.^[132]

References

External links

• WWE.com profile
• Online World of Wrestling profile
• Five Questions with The Champ
• John Cena at IMDb
• Template:Tv.com person

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