John Cena biography net worth, height, weight, career path, girlfriend, age 2025

Biography of John Cena

John Cena (full name - John Felix Anthony Cena) is a famous American wrestler, 16–time world champion. Since 2002, he has performed in the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). He's also made his mark as an actor, appearing in over 20 Hollywood movies and TV shows.

In 2005, John released a rap album: "You can't see me", which reached number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2020, he joined the DC film universe, having received the role of Peacemaker. In 2022, Forbes estimated John Cena's net worth at $60 million.

Childhood and youth

John Cena was born on April 23, 1977 in West Newberry, Massachusetts, USA. Parents: John Cena Sr., an Italian, and Carol Lupien, a native of Canada, the daughter of the baseball player Tony Lupien. John was the second of five children in the family, where all five were boys.

Cena recalled that he was a really scrawny kid in his early teens:

I was really scrawny — really skinny and scrawny — like, 100 pounds. I was heavily picked on and bullied because of [my] choices of dress and music that I listened to. I remember the walk to the school bus, at the very least, five times, shoved down, toppled down.

He started workouts to fight all the bullies back. And it soon paid off:

By the time I was 15, I was 150 pounds. And by the time I was 17, I was 225 pounds. So needless to say, I wasn't being picked on. The guys who were pushing me down were kind of like, «We cool?»

Since childhood, John has been fond of American football, training for several hours every day. Unlike many athletes, he was an A student, and when it came to college entrance exams, he got accepted to 58 of the 60 schools he applied to – everyone wanted this promising athlete on their team. Of these 58, he chose the University of Springfield, although it was not the most prestigious.

In 1998, as one of the three team captains, he led the university team to the third division of the National Student Sports Association championship. In 1999, he graduated from college with a degree in sports physiology and subsequently entered the Springfield College Sports Hall of Fame.

After graduating, the young graduate left Massachusetts against his father's will and headed to California to chase his dreams with just $500 in his pocket. He dreamed of making a career as a bodybuilder, but from the very beginning he faced great difficulties. In order to be able to work out at the gym, he worked as a limo driver in a 1991 Lincoln and even slept in the car to save money on rent.

Wrestling and WWE

John Cena stumbled into the wrestling world by chance in 2000, when a fellow wrestler at his gym suggested he try Ultimate Pro Wrestling (then a WWE subsidiary).

The Rise Of John Cena (2002-2022) | Full Career Retrospective

The idea of giving wrestling a shot didn't seem far-fetched. At 6'1" and 238 pounds, he had the perfect build for the ring.

He took his first steps in a new career quite confidently. Going by the name "Prototype," Cena quickly rose through the wrestling ranks, capturing the UPW championship on April 27, 2001 in San Diego.

In February 2002, Cena won the OVW title, and in June of the same year began his career in WWE. In the federation, he became the undisputed US champion, bringing the "WrestleMania XX" title to California after defeating the Big Show.

Over the years that followed, he won multiple championships across different federations, trailing only legends Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan and Bob Backlund in total title reigns.

John Cena's Most Powerful Moments

In the years that followed, Cena carefully crafted his image, following in the footsteps of his childhood hero Hogan to become a pop culture icon. He proved himself as both a wrestler and entertainer, both inside the ring and out.

John Cena entering the ring

In 2015, after failing to defend his championship in his own open challenge, Cena lost the WWE title to Alberto Del Rio. Since then, he's worked as a part-timer, commanding big money for occasional appearances.

When he received Sports Illustrated's Muhammad Ali Award in 2018, Cena acknowledged his career was winding down and it was time to pass the torch to the next generation.

Movies and music

Through his WWE career, Cena appeared in countless interviews, screenings and promotional events. But he also landed roles in major motion pictures, starring alongside Robert Patrick in "The Marine" (2006) and playing a young cop in "12 Rounds" (2009).

Cena's also a huge hip-hop fan. In 2005, he recorded the album "You can't see me", which ranked #15 on the Billboard Hot 200 national chart.

John Cena – My Time Is Now

Through WWE, he dropped two singles with rap star Wiz Khalifa: "All Day" and "Breaks."

John Cena ft. Wiz Khalifa – All Day

In March 2015, Cena hit theaters in "Trainwreck," earning praise from critics for his comedic performance.

Personal life of John Cena

In 2009, the wrestler married his girlfriend Elizabeth Huberdeau. She desperately wanted children, and Cena, as he claimed in one of his interviews, didn't want kids until his career was over. Due to this and countless other disagreements, the couple divorced three years later.

After the divorce, he started dating wrestler Nicole Garcia, one of the famous "Bella twins". In 2017, they got engaged, but in 2018 the couple broke up.

Since 2019, John Cena's girlfriend has been Canadian Shai Shariatzadeh. In February 2020, paparazzi caught them on a walk, and an engagement ring was on the girl's finger. She's 14 years younger than John. Presumably, they met in Canada, on the set of the comedy "Playing with Fire", in which John Cena played the main role.

John Cena and his girlfirend Shai Shariatzadeh

John is an avid collector of sports cars. He has more than 30 models in his garage, some of which are one-of-a-kind models.

The wrestler is a big baseball fan. In particular, he supports the Boston Red Sox team.

John Cena now

Officially, Cena hasn't retired from wrestling, but but he's been focusing heavily on his acting career for several years. In 2021, the ninth part of "Fast and Furious" was released. John Cena joined the team of Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez – he was cast as Jacob, the unstable and aggressive younger brother of Dominic Toretto.

There are rumors that Cena will play the Sandman in the Marvel movie series. The reason was an image of the Sandman and Spider-Man fighting, which John posted on his Instagram. Cena will likely appear in upcoming solo Spider-Man films.

Also in 2021, he appeared in "Suicide Squad" directed by James Gunn. John Cena's character is called Peacemaker, he's one of the craziest heroes in the DC universe. According to the former wrestler, he didn't hesitate to accept Gunn's offer to play Peacemaker, because, although he is not a fan of superhero comics or movies, he was impressed by Gunn's adaptation of "Guardians of the Galaxy".

John Cena Talks Becoming Peacemaker, Moving To Acting, and Return To WWE On The Pat McAfee Show

In early 2022, John Cena returned to the role of Peacemaker in a solo series, which was also directed by James Gunn. The series, which takes place after the second "Suicide Squad", has won the audience's love from the first episodes, and thanks not only to Gunn's signature style, but also Cena's charisma.

Photos: John Cena