Often hailed as one of the greatest and most popular professional wrestlers to ever come out of the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), John Cena is a record 16-time WWE world champion. John Cena was signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) for the first time in 201 and clinched his maiden championship back in the year 2005.
Apart from his dominance inside the WWE ring, American wrestling sensation John Cena has also created waves in the world of entertainment and has garnered immense fame and appreciation for his successful Hollywood projects over the years. From brutally defeating his opponents inside the wrestling ring to capturing millions of Hollywood fans, John Cena has undoubtedly created a legacy that will continue to resonate for decades to come.
In this article we will take a look at the top six lesser-known facts about John Cena that you probably don’t know about.
Top 6 Facts About John Cena That You Probably Don’t Know About
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John Cena became a Professional Weight Lifter at the Age of 12
Well, in addition to being WWE’s poster boy for years and a 16-time WWE World Champion, John Cena has also been a professional weight lifter. Interestingly, John Cena started off with his professional weight-lifting journey at the young age of twelve in Massachusetts.
The American actor and wrestling sensation, John Cena, revealed in an interview how he was bullied for being skinny in his childhood days and how it motivated him to take up bodybuilding as his ultimate passion. Deeply inspired by bodybuilding legends like Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Cena spent the majority of his childhood years in weight lifting and bodybuilding.
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John Cena’s Make-A-Wish Foundation Record
Apart from being the reigning world champion in WWE and a star-studded actor in Hollywood, John Cena has also been a superhero for countless children over the years. Cena joined the “Make A Wish Foundation”, which works as a nonprofit organisation founded in the United States that helps fulfil the wishes of seriously ill children, in 2002.
As of March 2025, the American star actor and wrestler, Cena, has already granted the wishes of over 600 unprivileged children. As quoted by the Make A Wish Foundation, nobody in the world has been able to grant even 200 wishes as of now, speaking volumes about Cena’s unwavering dedication to helping unprivileged children.
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John Cena is an Author of a Children’s Book
Well, if you’re of the opinion that John Cena is only a wrestling legend and a Hollywood actor, you would be surprised to know about his path-breaking venture in children’s literature. Cena entered the world of children’s literature in 2018 with the release of his first picture book titled “Elbow Grease”. Cena’s book is directly inspired by his own childhood experiences and reflects his principles of hard work and resilience.
Ironically, Cena’s “Elbow Grease” debuted at #1 on the New York Times Best Seller list for picture books. Owing to the massive success of his debut book in 2018, John Cena expanded the book into a full “Elbow Grease” series with a total of three parts; Elbow Grease vs. Motozilla (2020), Elbow Grease: Fast Friends (2021) and Elbow Grease: My Monster Truck Family (board book, 2022).
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John Cena is a Classically Trained Pianist
In one of his recent interviews, when Cena was questioned about his passion for playing piano, he replied, “It’s not about becoming great at it. It’s about challenging yourself to grow… and sticking with something that’s tough”.
Although John Cena doesn’t perform as an artist, he has often surprised his fans from all over the world by flawlessly playing piano on numerous big platforms and prominent shows, including The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon.
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John Cena’s Unending Passion for Vintage Cars
In addition to being the powerhouse of talent in the ring and on-screen, Cena is also a huge auto geek and a big admirer of the classic vintage American muscle cars from the golden era of the 60s and 70s.
As of March 2025, Cena owns a swanky collection of over 20 rare and classic vintage cars, a majority of which were showcased on his YouTube series “Auto Geek”. A few of Cena’s standout vintage rides include a 1966 Dodge Hemi Charger, 1969 COPO Chevrolet Camaro, 1970 Plymouth Superbird, 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360, and 1969 Dodge Daytona.
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John Cena Secretly got Married in 2020
Surprisingly, despite his high-profile wrestling career and blockbuster movies, Cena’s wedding was an extremely low-key event. Cena tied the knot with Canadian engineer, Shay Shariatzadeh, on October 12, 2020, in an extremely private ceremony in Tampa, Florida. In one of his recent interviews, Cena revealed he met Shay Shariatzadeh in early 2019 while filming for “Playing with Fire” in Vancouver.
The couple managed to keep the wedding a low-key event and the news only surfaced a few days later, after the records became public. When questioned about his guarded approach, Cena replied “Love is beautiful—so is privacy.”
