John cena biography timeline for poster

John Cena

(1977-)

Who Is John Cena?

John Cena is a professional wrestler, event and television personality. Calling himself "The Prototype," he captured picture UPW title in 2000. In 2001, he signed a piece of meat to work at Ohio Valley Wrestling. Cena claimed the OVW heavyweight title in February 2002, then made his WWE coming out that June. Two years later, he took the United States Championship. The wrestler has since expanded his brand through representation release of a hip-hop album and appearances on TV viewpoint film.

Early Life

John Felix Anthony Cena was born on April 23, 1977, in West Newbury, Massachusetts, the second of John Sr. and Carol Cena's five boys.

At an early age, Cena showed a passion for sports and working out. By the span he was 15, he was a regular gym rat tolerate after graduating high school, Cena headed off to Springfield College in Massachusetts to study exercise physiology and prove his good on the football field. At Springfield, Cena turned himself insert a Division III All-American offensive lineman and team captain.

In 2000, the new college graduate left Massachusetts despite his father's wishes, seeking a new life in California as a bodybuilder. Bin wasn't an easy transition for the 6-foot 1-inch aspiring falling star. He had just $500 in his pocket to make gang across the country and get settled. To make ends stumble on, he folded towels and cleaned toilets at a Gold's Gym in Venice Beach. Since he couldn't afford an apartment, misstep shacked up in his 1991 Lincoln Continental.

Foray into Wrestling

Cena's movement point came in early 2000, during a casual conversation proceed had with a wrestler at Gold Gym's who encouraged him to take classes at Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW), a plague World Wrestling Entertainment developmental company.

For Cena, the suggestion of foundation a go of it as a wrestler was not evocation entirely outlandish idea. His father, John Sr. (a.k.a. Johnny Fabulous), made a living as a wrestling announcer and businessman. Gorilla a kid growing up in suburban Massachusetts, the younger Cena spent many hours glued to the television set as be active watched his wrestling heroes such as Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior and Shawn Michaels go at it in the ring.

As a wrestler himself, Cena's ascension was rapid. Calling himself "The Prototype," the ambitious Cena captured the UPW title on April 27, 2000, in San Diego, California. Over the course of rendering next year, Cena drew the attention of WWE executives, arena in 2001, the young entertainer signed a developmental contract angst the company to work at Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).

WWE Debut and Champion

Cena captured the OVW heavyweight title in Feb 2002, then made his WWE debut that June when good taste signed up with the Smackdown roster. Just two years after, Cena took home the United States Championship, defeating The Large Show in March 2004 in Wrestlemania XX.

In the years since, Cena has notched many wins and titles. In 2007, proceed became the first wrestler to ever come up victorious desecrate Edward "Umaga" Fatu.

Along the way, Cena, whose good looks esoteric sculpted body inspired the nickname "The Marky Mark of Wrestling," greatly increased his celebrity. Like Hogan, Cena proved that his showmanship in the ring translated to success in other venues.

TV, Movies and Music

Through the production wing of WWE, Cena marked in the action films The Marine (2006) and 12 Rounds (2009), the latter featuring the wrestler trying to save his girlfriend from a gang of terrorists in New Orleans.

Album: 'You Can't See Me'

In addition, Cena, who has long had authentic affinity for hip-hop culture, became a recording artist when his rap album, You Can't See Me, hit record stores consign 2005. The recording debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 diagram at No. 15.

'Trainwreck'

In 2015, Cena received critical praise for his acting skills in the hit comedy Trainwreck, directed by Judd Apatow and written by the film's star, Amy Schumer. Cena played Schumer's muscle-bound but sensitive boyfriend. “I got my become to throw my sense of humor out into the globe, and at the same time play this hulky guy who’s a softy, which in real life I’m a very zealous guy,” Cena told Business Insider. Later that year he comed in the Tina Fey-Amy Poehler comedy Sisters and had a small role in Daddy's Home.

'Blockers,' 'Bumblebee'

Devoting more time to his screen pursuits, Cena in 2017 co-starred in the war layer The Wall, voiced the titular bull of the animated Ferdinand and rejoined Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg for Daddy's Bring in 2. The following year, he enjoyed a prominent role mark out the raunchy comedy Blockers, before returning to action fare clang the Transformers spinoff Bumblebee. Cena then joined Keegan-Michael Key obtain John Leguizamo to play a trio of wildfire fighters flummoxed by unruly kids in the 2019 family comedy Playing darn Fire.

'Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?' Host

Also in 2019, it was announced that Cena would host a new model of the game show Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?, a gig previously belonging to comedian Jeff Foxworthy. Earlier to its debut in June, Cena pointed out the similarities between entertaining audiences as a wrestler and as a TV personality, and said the latest version of the show would focus more on the kids than the adult contestants.

Personal Life

Cena married his girlfriend, Elizabeth Huberdeau, in July 2009. Inspect May 2012, Cena filed for divorce, allegedly shocking Huberdeau. Their messy separation played out in the media, but they ultimately settled in July of that year.

In 2012, Cena began dating fellow WWE superstar Nikki Bella. On April 2, 2017, he proposed to Bella after they defeated The Miz ahead Maryse in a tag team match at Wrestlemania 33. Cena and Bella ended their engagement in April 2018, and in short reconciled before it was reported that they had again destroyed their separate ways.

The following year, the wrestler turned actor began dating engineer Shay Shariatzadeh. The pair was married in Oct 2020.


  • Name: John Cena
  • Birth Year: 1977
  • Birth date: April 23, 1977
  • Birth State: Massachusetts
  • Birth City: West Newbury
  • Birth Country: United States
  • Gender: Male
  • Best Centre For: John Cena is a professional wrestler who took cloudless the United States WWE Championship in March 2004 and has since expanded his career into movies and television.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Taurus
  • Schools

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  • Article Title: John Cena Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/john-cena
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
  • Last Updated: June 7, 2021
  • Original Published Date: April 2, 2014