'I doubled down on being myself': John Cena recalls his rise from bullied kid to WWE champion
He started his fitness journey at 13, when he was tired of being beaten up by bullies and asked his dad for a weight set. "I got picked on for dressing a certain way or acting a certain way," he said. But the experience "made me realise what was important in my life. I doubled down on being myself. And as a 12-, 13-, 14-year-old that doesn't even have a fully formed mind yet, I just knew, 'Hey, man, don't waver. Just be you.' That's what helped me," reported People.
After graduating from Springfield College, he made his mark in Ultimate Pro Wrestling and made a name for himself in WWE, first under the moniker "The Doctor of Thuganomics," then quickly adopting a "Superman, Goody Two-Shoes" image in the ring.
He stayed that way for 22 years. According to Guinness World Records, he held the record for the longest run that any pro wrestler had gone without becoming a "bad guy," until March 1, when he beat up Cody Rhodes and joined rival Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson in a shocking "heel turn," according to People.
These moments have all been a part of his "farewell" tour from the WWE after he made the shocking announcement last July that he is retiring from the ring in 2025.
"Age plays a factor," he said. "I'm not as strong or as fast as I used to be. I made a promise when I started gaining some notoriety that when I'm a step slower, I will go, because there will be kids just as hungry as I was who have earned a shot to see if they can make it," reported People.
Cena first tested his big-screen charisma with his film debut, The Marine, in 2006, but admitted that he started acting to get more people to watch WWE, as per the outlet.
He quickly learned his lesson. "I was run out of the movie business in 2009 for doing bad movies where I wasn't present," he shared, adding, "I thought that just because I wore a golden leather belt on Monday and Friday, they'd come see whatever I'm doing. It's not true," reported People.
He returned with comedic roles in 2015 with Trainwreck, Sisters and Daddy's Home, and did action roles in the Transformers and Fast & Furious franchises. He expanded his role as Peacemaker, an egotistical vigilante in 2021's Suicide Squad, into an acclaimed HBO Max series a year later, as per the outlet.
"I hope to remain curious and healthy -- and that's physically, spiritually, mentally," he said, adding "As long as I have love, health and curiosity for what life has to offer, I think it'll work out," reported People. (ANI)
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