John Cena

Career

Cena attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he earned a degree in exercise physiology (Springfield College has nationally renowned health and physical fitness programs). At Springfield, Cena played varsity football; he was a team captain and earned All-American honors.

Formerly a hunter on the UPN television show, Manhunt, Cena wrestled in Ohio Valley Wrestling under the ring name Prototype. He made his debut with the WWE in 2002. His first televised WWE match was against Kurt Angle on June 27, 2002. He was a typical face, which at first did not get much reaction from the fans; however, after an episode of Smackdown! where Cena performed an uncanny impersonation of Vanilla Ice, his gimmick was changed to that of a white rapper. This gimmick at first got him a lot of heel heat from the fans, but he was later being cheered by them due to the freestyle raps he makes on other wrestlers.

In 2004, Cena's popularity propelled him to a WrestleMania XX victory against The Big Show to win the WWE United States Championship, his first WWE title. Eventually he was stripped of the title by then-SmackDown! General Manager Kurt Angle. Cena later won the title back after winning a best-of-5 match series with Booker T. His second title reign was short-lived as he lost the title to newcomer Carlito Caribbean Cool in Cena's first televised match since regaining the title.

As part of a storyline, Cena was allegedly attacked in a Boston nightclub by Carlito's bodyguard, Jesus (pronounced hay-zoose), which kept Cena from wrestling for about a month because of a kidney puncture (in actuality, Cena was filming "The Marine"). He returned to wrestling just in time for Survivor Series. When he returned, he exacted revenge on Carlito Caribbean Cool in a SmackDown! match and won the U.S. title back, but afterward was attacked in the ring by Jesus - who hit Cena in the kidney several times with Cena's own chain.

Cena's United States title reigns were notable for two reasons - his second title reign came after a best-of-5 series of matches, a series of matches similar to the one wrestled by Booker T and Chris Benoit for the World Television Championship in WCW. In addition, Cena wore a modified United States title belt during his third reign as champion - the new belt featured the same colors, but with the face plate fashioned as a turntable.

John Cena became involved in a feud with John Bradshaw Layfield after Cena won a No.1 contendership tournament to face JBL in SmackDown!'s main event at WrestleMania 21 for the WWE Championship. This feud saw him lose his United States Championship to JBL's Chief-of-Staff Orlando Jordan. During this feud Cena established a name for his core of fans. Dubbing them the "Chain Gang", Cena often goes into the stands with actual fans as their "People's Champion" like Diamond Dallas Page before him.

He defeated JBL to win the WWE Championship on April 3, 2005 at WrestleMania 21 in Los Angeles. Soon after, he debuted his own custom WWE title (see image), just as Stone Cold Steve Austin did with his "Smoking Skull" belt. The new belt features a spinning WWE logo plate.

SmackDown! featured a series of matches to decide who Cena would face in his first title defense at Judgment Day. John Cena successfully defeated JBL, the winner of the tournament in a bloody "I Quit" Match. JBL said "I Quit" before Cena could hit him with a metal exhaust pipe. In the end, JBL was struck anyway and was sent flying through a piece of the illuminated plexiglass set.

On the June 6, 2005 episode of RAW, John Cena became the first draft pick in the month-long second annual WWE Draft Lottery, with Eric Bischoff drafting him from SmackDown! to RAW. This came as a surprise to many, as Cena was the reigning WWE Champion of the SmackDown! brand, and had previously expressed a desire to remain on SmackDown!. This did not sit well with Christian who interrupted Chris Jericho's Film Reel Highlight Interview with John Cena. Denouncing him as a poser who didn't belong on RAW and stating that he would expose him as a fake. John Cena replied back by quoting that Christian was a Vampire who doesn't suck blood but something else besides blood and that Tyson Tomko was the "Fight Starter" who the only problem he ever solved was being Christian's Life-Partner. John Cena then finished with a Five-Second pose before Christian threw the first punch. Resulting in Christian and Tyson Tomko being thrown out of the ring. Thus setting up the June 13th Tag Team Match with John Cena & Chris Jericho VS Christian & Tyson Tomko.

On the June 13, 2005 episode of RAW, John Cena & Chris Jericho started off the Tag Team Match agressively, bulldozing Christian & Tyson Tomko in the process. Right after John Cena finished off Tyson Tomko and pinned him for the win, Chris Jericho plays Turncoat and backstabs John Cena by attacking him and then putting him through the Walls of Jericho. Making his intentions clear: He wanted to be a Champion again. John Cena made a counter-attack on the traitor, Chris Jericho while he was backstage, discussing with Eric Bischoff about giving him a title shot at the WWE Championship.

Cena will now make his first WWE Title defense, on a Raw pay-per-view, when he faces Christian & Chris Jericho in a Triple Threat match at WWE Vengeance.

Outside of wrestling

Music/Movies

Cena has cut a series of rap music tracks. His fifth WWE entrance song, "Basic Thugonomics" was featured on the WWE soundtrack album WWE Originals. His track "Untouchables" was featured on Theme Addict, another WWE soundtrack album. His debut album You Can't See Me (in stores now) features his current entrance theme "The Time is Now" and the following tracks:

The first single off the album was "Bad, Bad Man". The music video for the song, a parody of 1980s culture and the television show The A-Team premiered on an edition of SmackDown.

John Cena's first major film role will be in the 2005 film The Marine, to be produced by WWE Films. WWE used the "nightclub stabbing" as kayfabe for his absence from WWE television.

Fashion

Cena's ring attire in and out of the ring reflects the hip hop culture that his character represents. He often wears throwback sports jerseys. During his time as heel, he would wear jerseys of a rival team of the city he was wrestling in. As a good guy, he would wear jerseys of one of the city's home teams. Cena has also made use of the retro WWF logo, but without the F, adopting it as his "Word Life" symbol. He has also worn a chain with a lock on it to the ring and would sometimes use the chain as a weapon, as would his opponents on some occasions.

Signature and finishing maneuvers

• F-U (During May 2005 Cena began using a modified F-U but has since reverted back to the original)
• Five-Knuckle Shuffle (Fist Drop)
• Throwback (flip over facebuster)
• Freestyle / Protoplex (Spin-out Side Slam)
• Spinebuster
• Fisherman suplex
• Sidewalk Slam
• Sitout Hiptoss
• Flying Shoulderblock

Signature illegal weapon(s)

• Steel chain
• Brass knuckles

Trademark quotes

• "Word Life!"
• "You can't see me!"
• "The champ is here!"
• "... If you want some , come get some!"
• "The Chain Gang is in The House!"
• "Because this .. is what .. we do!"
• "There are those who talk about it, and those who BE about it!"
• "If you don't know it by now, we didn't want you to know!"

Championships and accomplishments

• 1-Time WWE Champion (Current)
• 3-Time WWE United States Champion
• 1-Time OVW Champion
• 1-Time OVW Southern Tag Team Champion (w/ Rico Constantino)
• 1-Time UPW Champion
• 2003 Pro Wrestling Illustrated (PWI) Most Improved Wrestler
• 2004 PWI Most Popular Wrestler

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Categories: 1977 births | People from Massachusetts | Professional wrestlers | United States rappers