John Cena struggled greatly prior to joining WWE.

Although the 16-time WWE champion has made a name for himself in the sport of wrestling, his path to success was not without difficulty. Cena relocated to California in 1999 in search of employment. With a degree in exercise physiology under his belt, Cena still struggled to make ends meet. Cena, a well-known Hollywood actor now, disclosed that he had to deal with homelessness at that time, subsisting on a free pizza from a nearby store, in an interview with comedian Kevin Hart.

They ran a promotion where you could have their pizza for free if you could finish it all. I didn’t have the money to pay the guy, so I used to dine there every night and get a whole pizza, Cena remembered. Cena began his professional wrestling career in 2000 at Ultimate Pro Wrestling. In order to get a WWE contract, he won the heavyweight championship there.

In the end, the wrestling ring provided him not just money but also fame and glory. However, Cena had no idea that wrestling might be a successful career path back then. “I had no idea that professional wrestling existed. I used to watch it when I was younger, but I sort of lost interest in it as a teenager or adolescent because it seemed to be saying things like, “Oh, you have to study hard and maybe play sports and go get a real job or whatever.” The 46-year-old stated.

In 2002, following a successful stint at Ohio Valley Wrestling, Cena made his WWE debut. When Cena made his WWE television debut, he faced Kurt Angle. Although Cena was forced to lose the fight, his unwavering fighting style and unflinching attitude quickly won over the fans.

Two years after making his WWE debut, Cena won the United States Championship. Cena defeated JBL to win his first WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21. In the end, Cena would win two more World Heavyweight Championships. Cena was able to win the WWE Championship thirteen times. Five times, he has taken home the WWE United States Championship belt. In the tag match division, Cena won twice. He has also won two titles as the World Tag Team Champion. Cena triumphed twice at the Royal Rumble: in 2008 and 2013.

In addition to showcasing his exceptional wrestling abilities, John Cena has excelled in the acting world. He has appeared in films including Fast X (2023), F9: The Fast Saga (2021), The Marine (2006), 12 Rounds (2009), The Reunion (2011), and Suicide Squad (2021).