Who Is John Cena? All About The Prototype

21st February 2023

Who is John Cena? All About The Prototype

Former WWE champion and still part-time superstar with the company John Cena is one of an increasing number of pro wrestling stars to emerge from the squared circle onto the big screen. Given the nickname “The Prototype” in the WWE, Cena quickly became the face of the franchise, setting records both in the ring and beyond.

Now, people are recognizing Cena more and more regularly at the cinema and in premium TV shows. The former bodybuilder, despite being 45 years old, is best known for his massive physique, commanding presence, and, when the right director’s involved, superb deadpan delivery in comedic productions.

Here, you’ll find out even more about John Cena, including the Massachusetts native’s net worth, start in wrestling, incredible WWE career and legacy, and his emerging role in Hollywood.

What is John Cena’s net worth?

Estimating a celebrity’s net worth is always a tricky task given that we seldom know exactly how much they earn in wages, incentives, bonuses, percentages of merchandise sales, or how much they spend on their lifestyle and assets. Still, we do know that John Cena is one of the highest net-worth active or former pro wrestlers, ranking amongst the McMahons and, of course, The Rock.

The 6’1’’ American was the highest-paid active wrestler under the WWE banner in 2016, according to Forbes, clocking in at $9.5 million in earnings. Since then, he’s only added to his fortune both through wrestling and his stints in Hollywood. In 2021, he did get divorced from Elizabeth Huberdeau, and while Cena and his ex-wife reportedly signed a prenup, insiders at the time suggest that Huberdeau agreed to a $60 million settlement.

Even with this and his other expenses – which include charitable work and a multi-million mansion – in mind, sites like Wealthy Gorilla estimate that Cena has a net worth of around $80 million in 2023.

When did John Cena start wrestling?

After graduating with a degree in exercise physiology and body movement in 1999 from Springfield College, Cena decided to become a bodybuilder and make it his profession. However, it didn’t take long for him to start to attempt to replicate his idol, Hulk Hogan, joining Ultimate Pro Wrestling’s university in 1999. In 2001, the then-WWF came knocking, putting him in Ohio Valley Wrestling before he made his big SmackDown debut in June 2002.

Is John Cena one of the best wrestlers the WWE has ever seen?

Simply put: yes. John Cena boasts legendary status in the WWE, having been a fan-favourite and ruling the top belts for many, many years. His entry into the newly branded WWE (renamed due to the company losing a lawsuit by the World Wildlife Fund) made the transition from the WWF’s very successful Attitude Era – trumping other similar brands – that much easier.

Last year, the WWE celebrated his anniversary with a special promo for 20 years since his debut, which was loaded with highlight reel moves – such as his signature Attitude Adjustment – and a treasure haul of titles. To this day, he still boasts the highest win rate since the turn of the millennium (77.2%), the most WWE Heavyweight Championship wins (13), and the most times as the WWE World Champion (16).

He’s also headlined WrestleMania five times. Cena may only be a part-time competitor in the WWE now, but he’s still synonymous with the brand, a fan favourite, and a huge shipper of merchandise. One of WWE’s newest products, WWE Clash of the Wilds, stars Cena despite him only fighting once in 2022. Released to the Betway online casino platform’s top slots library, Clash of the Wilds puts Cena front and centre alongside much more active stars like Bianca Belair, Roman Reigns, and Charlotte Flair – but Cena’s Wild Blocks Free Spins is the better feature.

Again, even though he’s not as active as he once was, the 45-year-old superstar continues to be a major merchandise pusher. The official Shop is loaded with his merchandise that sells for big money, from his $11.99 sweatbands to the $499.99 replica belts. A dive into merchandise sales from Inside the Ropes found that his Signature Series Spinner Championship Replica Title has sold some 1,000 units, and his Earn The Day shirts have sold over 25,000 units. Four of the ten best-selling items were of special significance to Cena fans.

Has John Cena been successful in Hollywood?

By all accounts, John Cena has found success in Hollywood. As many up-and-coming actors find, especially pro wrestlers, he had to do a fair few low-budget, low-quality flicks to cut his teeth, such as in The Marine, 12 Rounds, Legendary, The Reunion, and so on. However, his turn to comedy was well-received, culminating in his starring role as Peacemaker in the reimagining of the failed flick Suicide Squad.

His deadpan character without a fleck of irony to his persona worked superbly in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, and he didn’t look out of place alongside proven talents like Idris Elba, Peter Capaldi, Amanda Waller, and Joel Kinnaman. In fact, he and Gunn enjoyed putting the Peacemaker character to screen so much that they made a standalone series, which has been renewed by HBO Max for its second season, hopefully not to be lost among the somewhat diminished comedy landscape that streaming sites now represent.

With his legendary status in the WWE coupled with his increasing Hollywood success, John Cena looks to be a real celebrity star for the years to come.

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