John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena (born April 23, 1977) is an American professional wrestler, rapper and actor signed to WWE, where he is the current WWE United States Champion in his fourth reign. He is also signed to a " WWE Legends Contract " as an ambassador and producer. Cena has been public face of WWE since 2005[9][10] and has served as its franchise player since 2005.[11] He is a polarizing figure among pro wrestling fans,[9][10] despite playing a heroic character for the majority of his career.[9]
Cena started his pro wrestling career in 1999 with Ultimate Pro Wrestling, where he held the UPW Heavyweight Championship.[12] Cena signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later renamed to WWE) in 2001, debuting on the main roster in 2002. As of May 2015, Cena has won 23 championships, with a record 12 reigns as WWE (World Heavyweight) Champion,[13] three reigns as World Heavyweight Champion, four reigns as WWE United States Champion, and a four-timeworld tag team champion (two World Tag Team and two WWE Tag Team). He also is a 2012 Money in the Bank ladder match winner, a two-time Royal Rumble winner (2008, 2013), and a three-time Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner (2009, 2010, 2012).
He has the fourth-highest number of combined days as WWE World Heavyweight Champion, behind Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, and Hulk Hogan. He has also headlined WWE's flagship event, WrestleMania, on five occasions (WrestleManias 22, 23, XXVII, XXVIII, and 29) over the course of his career.
Outside of wrestling, Cena has released the rap album You Can't See Me, which debuted at No.15 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and starred in the feature films The Marine (2006), 12 Rounds (2009), and Legendary (2010).[14]Cena has also made appearances on television shows including Manhunt,Deal or No Deal, MADtv, Saturday Night Live, Punk'd, Psych, and Parks and Recreation. Cena was also a contestant on Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, where he made it to the final round before being eliminated, placing third in the overall competition.
John Cena in 2012.
| |
| Born | John Felix Anthony Cena April 23, 1977 West Newbury, Massachusetts, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Residence | Tampa, Florida, U.S.[1] |
| Alma mater | Springfield College |
| Occupation | Professional wrestler, actor,rapper |
| Years active | 1999–present (wrestler) 2000–present (actor) 2004–2005, 2014 (rapper) |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth Huberdeau (m. 2009;div. 2012) |
| Partner(s) | Nikki Bella (2012–present) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | John Cena[2] Juan Cena[3] The Prototype[4] |
| Billed height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)[5] |
| Billed weight | 251 lb (114 kg)[5] |
| Billed from | "Classified" (UPW)[6] West Newbury, Massachusetts(WWE)[5] "West Newbarnia, Mexico" (as Juan Cena)[7] |
| Trained by | Ultimate Pro Wrestling[6] Ohio Valley Wrestling[3] |
| Debut | November 5, 1999[8] |
Early life
Cena was born on April 23, 1977 in West Newbury, Massachusetts,[15] the son of Carol (née Lupien) and John Cena, Sr.[16]He is the second oldest of five brothers: Dan, Matt, Steve, and Sean.[17] His maternal grandfather was baseball player Tony Lupien.[18] After graduating from Cushing Academy, Cena attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts.[19] In college he was a Division III All-American center on the college football team,[20] wearing the number 54,[19] which is still used on some of his WWE merchandise.[21][22] He graduated from Springfield in 1998 with a degree in exercise physiology,[23] after which he pursued a career in bodybuilding[24][25] and worked as a driver for a limousine company.[26]
Professional wrestling career
Ultimate Pro Wrestling (1999–2001)
Cena started training to become a professional wrestler in 1999 at Ultimate Pro Wrestling's California-based "Ultimate University" operated by Rick Bassman. Once he was placed into an in-ring role, Cena began using a semi-robotic characterknown as "The Prototype".[4][27] Some of this period of his career was documented in the Discovery Channel program Inside Pro Wrestling School.[28] While in UPW, Cena held the UPW Heavyweight title for just shy of a month in April 2000.[29] On October 10, 2000, while billed as The Prototype, Cena made his debut on a SmackDown taping in a dark match against Mikey Richardson, where he was defeated.[30] He received another tryout on January 9, 2001 at a SmackDown taping in Oakland, California, this time defeating Aaron Aguilera. Cena wrestled again in a dark match at SmackDown tapings on March 13.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE
Ohio Valley Wrestling (2001–2002)
In 2001, Cena signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). He was assigned to its developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).[31] During his time there, Cena wrestled under the ring names"The Prototype" and "Mr. P". He held the OVW Heavyweight Championship for three months and the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship (with Rico Constantino) for two months.[32][33][34]
SmackDown and various feuds (2002–2004)
Cena made his WWE television debut on the June 27, 2002 episode of SmackDown! by answering an open challenge by Kurt Angle. After declaring that he possessed "ruthless aggression", Cena gave Angle a hard fight and only lost by a pinning combination. After the match, Cena was congratulated by the Undertaker, Rikishi, Farooq and Billy Kidman.[35][36]
Following the near-win, Cena became a fan favorite and started feuding with Chris Jericho, defeating Jericho at Vengeance.[35] In October, Cena and Billy Kidman took part in a tag team tournament to crown the first WWE Tag Team Champions of the SmackDown! brand, losing in the first round.[37] The next week, Cena turned on and attacked Kidman, blaming him for their loss, becoming a villain for the first and only time in his career.[35]
Shortly after the Kidman attack, on a Halloween themed episode of SmackDown, Cena dressed as Vanilla Ice performing a freestyle rap.[35] The next week, Cena received a newcharacter: a rapper who cut promos while rhyming.[35] As the gimmick grew, Cena began adopting a variant of the 1980s WWF logo – dropping the "F" – as his "signature symbol", along with the slogan "Word Life".[38] Moreover, he was joined by an enforcer, Bull Buchanan, who was rechristened B-2 (also written B² and pronounced "B-Squared").[35] Buchanan was later replaced by Red Dogg,[35] until he was sent to theRaw brand in February.
For the first half of 2003, Cena sought the WWE Championship and chased the reigning champion, Brock Lesnar afterWrestleMania XIX, first having to go through Chris Benoit, who mocked him by wearing a "Toothless Aggression" shirt.[39][40][41] Cena won a number one contender's tournament against Lesnar at Backlash. However, Cena was defeated by Lesnar. At Vengeance, Cena lost a singles match against The Undertaker.[35][42]
At the end of the year, Cena became a fan favorite again when he joined Kurt Angle as a member of his team at Survivor Series.[43][44]
Rise to superstardom (2004–2005)
In early 2004, Cena participated in the Royal rumble match at the 2004 Royal Rumble,[45]making it to the final six before being eliminated by Big Show and the Match being won byChris Benoit.[46] The Royal Rumble elimination led to a feud with Big Show,[47][48] which Cena won the United States Championship from Big Show at WrestleMania XX.[49] The reign ended almost four months later, when he was stripped of the belt on July 8 by Angle after he accidentally knocked him over, thus attacking an official.[50] Cena won the championship back defeating Booker T in a best of five series that culminated at No Mercy,[51] only to lose it to the débuting Carlito Caribbean Cool the next week.[52] After the loss to Carlito, the duo began a feud, which resulted in Cena allegedly being stabbed in thekidney while at a Boston-area nightclub by Carlito's bodyguard, Jesús.[53][54] This workedinjury was used to keep Cena out of action for a month while Cena was filming The Marine.[33] Immediately on his return in November, Cena won the United States Championship back from Carlito.[55][56]
Cena took part in the 2005 Royal Rumble match, making it to the final two. Cena andBatista went over the top rope at the same time, ostensibly ending the match. The match was restarted in which Batista eliminated Cena to win.[57] The next month, Cena defeated Kurt Angle to earn a spot in the SmackDown brand's WrestleMania 21 main event match,[58]beginning a feud with WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL) and his Cabinet in the process. In the early stages of the feud, Cena lost his US belt to Cabinet memberOrlando Jordan,[59] Cena defeated JBL at WrestleMania winning the WWE Championship, giving Cena his first world championship.[60] Cena then had a spinner WWE Championship belt made,[61] while JBL took the original belt and claimed to still be WWE Champion,[61] until Cena reclaimed the original belt in an "I Quit" match at Judgment Day.[62]
Cena was drafted to the Raw brand on June 6, 2005, becoming the first wrestler selected in the annual draft lottery.[63]Cena immediately entered a feud with Eric Bischoff, after refusing to participate in the "war" against the Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) roster at One Night Stand.[64] With Bischoff vowing to make Cena's stint on Raw difficult, he hand picked Jericho to take Cena's championship from him.[65] During their feud, even though Cena was portrayed as the fan favorite and Jericho as the villain, a vocal section of live crowds, nonetheless, were booing Cena during their matches.[66] More crowds followed suit during Cena's next feud with Kurt Angle,[67] who took over as Bischoff's hand-picked number-one contender after Cena defeated Jericho in a You're Fired match on the August 22 Raw.[68] As the feud continued and the dissenters grew more vocal, sometimes seeming to outnumber fans by wide margins,[69] the announce team was forced to acknowledge the booing on television and began calling Cena a "controversial champion", claiming some people disliking him on account of his "in-ring style" and his chosen fashion.[70] Despite the mixed and negative reactions, Cena held on to his championship through his feud with Angle, losing to him by disqualification[71] – which titles do not change hands in WWE – at Unforgiven and pinning him at Survivor Series.[72] The feud with Angle also saw Cena add a secondary, submission based, finishing maneuver – the STFU (a Stepover Toehold Sleeper, though named for aStepover Toehold Facelock) – when he was put into a Triple Threat Submissions Only match on the November 28 Raw.[73]
WWE Championship feuds (2006–2007)
Cena lost the WWE Championship at New Year's Revolution, but not in theElimination Chamber match that he had been advertised to participate in beforehand. Instead, immediately after winning the Elimination Chamber, he was forced into a match against Edge, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract – a "guaranteed title match for the WWE Champion at a time and place of the owner's choosing." Two quick spears allowed Edge to pin Cena, winning him the championship.[74] Three weeks later, Cena won the championship back at the Royal Rumble.[74] After winning the championship, Cena began feuding with Triple H, which the crowd began booing Cena and cheering the intended villain, Triple H.[75][76] Cena beat Triple H at WrestleMania 22 to retain his WWE Title.[3] The negative reaction towards Cena intensified when facing Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand. Taking place in front of a boisterous crowd of mostly original ECW fans at the Hammerstein Ballroom, Cena was met with raucous jeering and chants of "Fuck you, Cena", "You can't wrestle", and "Same old shit". When he began performing different moves into the match, the fans began chanting "You still suck". Cena lost the WWE Championship at One Night Stand, with Van Dam pinning Cena after interference from Edge.[77]
In July, Edge won the championship from Van Dam in a Triple Threat match that also involved Cena,[78] re-igniting the feud between him and Cena from earlier in the year. After Edge went about retaining the title by dubious means – getting himself disqualified[79] (for which Championships do not change hands) and using brass knuckles[77] – he introduced his own version of Cena's "custom" belt, this one with his logo placed on the spinner.[80] Cena eventually won the championship back in a match and arena of Edge's choice: a Tables, Ladders, and Chairs match at Unforgiven at the Air Canada Centre in Edge's hometown ofToronto, Ontario, Canada after FU'ing Edge through two tables off a ladder. The match had a stipulation that, had Cena lost, he would have left the Raw brand for SmackDown.[81][82] Cena returned his version of the spinner belt on the next night's Raw.[83]
On the heels of his feud with Edge, Cena was placed in an inter-brand angle to determine the "Champion of Champions" – or which was the most dominant champion in WWE's three brands. Cena, the World Heavyweight Champion King Booker, and the ECW World ChampionThe Big Show engaged in a mini-feud leading to a Triple Threat match at Cyber Sunday, with the viewers voting on which of the three championships would be placed on the line.[84] At the same time, Cena became involved in a storyline with non-wrestler Kevin Federline, when he began appearing on Raw withJohnny Nitro and Melina. After getting into a worked physical altercation with Federline on Raw,[84] Federline appeared at Cyber Sunday to hit Cena with the World Heavyweight Championship during the match, helping King Booker retain his championship.[77] 2006 ended with Cena beginning a feud with the undefeated Umaga over the WWE Championship,[85]while 2007 began with the end of his storyline with Kevin Federline. On the first Raw of the new year, Cena was pinned by Federline with an assist from Umaga, although later in the night he was able to get his hands on Federline performing anFU on him.[86]
One night after the Royal Rumble, an impromptu team of Cena and Shawn Michaels defeated Rated-RKO (Edge andRandy Orton) for the World Tag Team Championship, making Cena a double champion.[87] On the April 2 episode of Raw, after losing a WWE Championship match to Cena at WrestleMania 23,[88] Michaels turned on Cena, costing them the championship in the second of two 10 team battles royals, by throwing Cena over the top rope and eliminating the team.The Hardys (Matt and Jeff) eventually won the match and the championship.[89] For the rest of the month, Cena feuded with Michaels, Orton, and Edge until The Great Khali declared his intentions to challenge for Cena's championship attacking and "laying out" all three of the top contenders[90] before assaulting Cena himself and stealing the physical belt.[91] For the next two months, Cena feuded with Khali over the championship, eventually becoming the first person in WWE to defeat him by submission at Judgment Day[92][93] and then by pinfall at One Night Stand.[94][95] Later that summer, Randy Orton was named the number one contender for the WWE championship,[96] starting a feud between the two. Leading up toSummerSlam, Orton delivered a number of sneak-attacks, performing three RKOs to Cena, but in the actual match, Cena retained the championship.[97] A rematch between the two occurred at Unforgiven, with Orton winning by disqualification after Cena ignored the referee's instructions and continued to beat on him in the corner.[98]
During a match with Mr. Kennedy on the October 1, 2007 episode of Raw, Cena suffered a legitimate torn pectoral musclewhile executing a hip toss.[99] Though finishing the match and taking part in the scripted attack by Randy Orton after the match, surgery the following day found that his pectoralis major muscle was torn completely from the bone, estimating at the time to require seven months to a year of rehabilitation.[100][101] As a result, Cena was stripped of the title by Vince McMahon on the next night's episode of ECW,[102] ending what was the longest WWE Championship reign in over 19 years.[103] Cena's surgery was performed by orthopedic surgeon James Andrews at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.[99] Two weeks later, in a video update on WWE.com, Dr. Andrews and Cena's physical trainer both said that he was several weeks ahead of where he was expected to be in his rehabilitation at that time.[104] Despite his injury, Cena attended the annual WWE Tribute to the Troops show filmed at Camp Speicher in Tikrit, Iraq on December 7, and aired on December 24.[105]
World championship reigns (2008–2010)
Cena made a surprise return as the final participant of the Royal Rumble match, winning the match, and the traditional WrestleMania title shot, by last eliminating Triple H.[106] Instead of waiting until WrestleMania, the title shot was cashed in against WWE Champion Randy Orton at February's No Way Out pay-per-view[107] in a match where Cena won bydisqualification, resulting in him not getting the championship.[108] The night after No Way Out, Cena was placed back into WrestleMania XXIV's WWE Championship match, making it a Triple Threat match also involving Triple H,[109] during which he was pinned by Orton.[110]At Backlash, Cena failed to regain the title in a Fatal Four-Way elimination match, in which he was pinned by Orton.[111] Triple H won the title during that match. During the match, Cena eliminated JBL,[111] renewing their feud from 2005. Cena defeated JBL at Judgment Day and then at One Night Stand in a First Blood match.[112][113] JBL, however, defeated him in a New York City Parking Lot Brawl at The Great American Bash in July.[114]
On the August 4 episode of Raw, Cena became a World Tag Team Champion for a second time, teaming with Batista to defeat Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase,[115] but failed to retain the titles the following week against the former champions.[116] Batista defeated Cena atSummerSlam;[117] shortly after, he was named one of four contenders for CM Punk's World Heavyweight Championship in the Championship scramble match at Unforgiven. He was replaced by Rey Mysterio, however, after Cena suffered a herniated disc in his neck, which required surgery.[118] Cena underwent successful surgery to repair the injury.[119][120]
Cena made his in-ring return at the November pay-per-view event, Survivor Series, defeating Chris Jericho to win his first World Heavyweight Championship.[121] The two continued their rivalry up toArmageddon, where Cena retained his championship.[122] Cena lost the championship at No Way Out, to Edge after Kofi Kingston was attacked by Edge, who took his place in the Elimination Chamber match.[123] Cena was given an opportunity to regain the title at WrestleMania XXV in a Triple Threat match also involving Big Show, which Cena won.[124]
Cena lost the championship back to Edge in a Last Man Standing match at Backlash after interference from Big Show, who chokeslammed Cena through a big spotlight.[125] This angle resulted in Cena beginning a feud with Big Show. Cena defeated Big Show at Judgment Day[126] and at Extreme Rules in a Submission match by applying the STFU.[127]
At the July pay-per-view, Night of Champions, he participated in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship, which also involved Triple H and WWE Champion Randy Orton. Cena, however, did not win the match.[128] Two months later, atBreaking Point, Cena defeated Randy Orton for the WWE Championship in an "I Quit" match to win his fourth WWE Championship.[129] At Hell in a Cell, Cena lost the title to Orton in a Hell in a Cell match.[130] Three weeks later, at WWE Bragging Rights, Cena defeated Orton in a 60-minute Iron Man match.[131] Cena successfully defended the title against both Triple H and Shawn Michaels in a Triple Threat match at Survivor Series, and lost it to Sheamus at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a Tables match.[132]
Cena regained the title at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in an Elimination Chamber. His reign was cut short after Mr. McMahon made him defend the title against Batista, who won the title.[133] Cena defeated Batista at WrestleMania XXVI for the title,[134][135] and successfully defended it at Extreme Rules, in a Last Man Standing rematch.[136] Cena faced Batista one more time, winning an I Quit match at Over the Limit.[137]
Feud with The Nexus (2010–2011)
See also: The Nexus
On the June 7, 2010 episode of Raw, Cena was suddenly thrust into a new storyline when during his main event match against CM Punk, he was attacked by all eight former contestants of WWE NXT Season 1, with Wade Barrett as their leader. Punk, his followerLuke Gallows, and other personnel around the ring were attacked as well, but Cena took the worst of the attack and was carried out on a stretcher. This group later referred to itself as The Nexus.[138] At Fatal 4-Way, Cena lost the WWE title to Sheamus, in a fatal four-way match involving Edge and Randy Orton, after The Nexus interfered.[139] Cena again lost to Sheamus, in a steel cage match, at Money in the Bank, after The Nexus again interfered.[140] Cena, in retaliation to The Nexus, formed an alliance with Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, R-Truth, The Great Khali, and Bret Hart. They defeated The Nexus at SummerSlam, with help from the returning Daniel Bryan, a former member of Nexus, who replaced Khali after he was injured.[141]
Hoping to end The Nexus, Cena challenged Wade Barrett to a match at Hell in a Cell with the stipulations that if he were to lose, he would join The Nexus. After Barrett defeated Cena, he joined The Nexus,[142] and was forced by the Raw GM to follow their orders or be fired. Cena and fellow Nexus member David Otunga defeated Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre to win the Tag Team Championship at Bragging Rights.[143] Later, he was forced to help Barrett defeat Orton in a championship match, giving Barrett the disqualification win.[143] The next day, Cena and Otunga lost the Tag Team Championship to fellow Nexus members Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel, when Barrett ordered Otunga to lay down and lose the title.[144] At Survivor Series, Cena officiated a match for the WWE Championship between Wade Barrett and Randy Orton. Per stipulation, if Barrett didn't win the championship, Cena would be fired from the WWE.
Orton defeated Barrett to retain the title, thus terminating Cena's WWE contract.[145] The following day on Raw, Cena gave a farewell speech, before costing Wade Barrett the WWE Championship by interfering in his rematch with Randy Orton.[146] A week later, Cena invaded Raw, first as a spectator, but then attacked members of Nexus, explaining that he would still take down Nexus one by one, despite not having a job in the WWE anymore.[147]On the December 13 episode of Raw, Cena was rehired by Barrett, in exchange that he would face him at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a Chairs Match.[148] Prior to TLC, Cena teamed up with Randy Orton and Rey Mysterio to defeat Wade Barrett, The Miz, andAlberto Del Rio at the WWE Tribute to the Troops. On December 19 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, Cena was victorious against Wade Barrett in a Chairs match in the main event of the evening.
On the December 27 episode of Raw, The Nexus, minus Wade Barrett, announced they were under new management and offered to bury the hatchet with Cena, to which he refused. The Nexus attacked Cena, leaving a Nexus armband in the ring during the process. As the group retreated, CM Punk, who had attacked Cena with a steel chair twice the week before, came to the ring to apparently attack Cena, but instead put on the armband left behind to symbolically announce his allegiance with The Nexus.[149] The next week, Wade Barrett returned to Raw and confronted CM Punk over the issue of who the leader of The Nexus was and who was responsible for Cena's attack the week before. Barrett was placed into a Triple Threat steel cage match that night to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship. CM Punk added his own stipulation to the match saying if Barrett lost, he would be banished from the group, but if he won he would remain leader. Barrett lost the match after CM Punk interfered and ripped off Barrett's armband.[150]
On the January 17 episode of Raw, Cena returned and faced Punk in a match. During the match, a man, who was later revealed as Mason Ryan, attacked Cena. During the 2011 Royal Rumble match, Cena eliminated most of The Nexus, ending his feud with them.
Record-breaking WWE Champion (2011–2013)
Cena competed in the 2011 Royal Rumble match at the pay-per-view, making it to the final five before being eliminated by The Miz, the current WWE Champion at the time, who wasn't an official participant in the match. At the Elimination Chamberpay-per-view, Cena won the chamber match to face The Miz at WrestleMania XXVIIfor the WWE Championship.[151]
On the February 21 episode of Raw, Cena replied to The Rock's comments about him from the previous week in rap form, as The Rock returned as the announced guest host of WrestleMania. That night, Cena was placed into a WWE Tag Team Championship match, with him teaming with The Miz, where they defeated Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater to become WWE Tag Team Champions. After the match, Wade Barrett invoked Gabriel and Slater's rematch clause straight away, where they won their titles back after The Miz attacked Cena.[152] Cena and The Rock continued to feud, on-air and through social networks. After weeks of insults, they finally met face-to-face. Cena denied The Rock's claim to truly "love" the WWE, claiming that he used WWE only to jumpstart his acting career, a claim which Johnson angrily refuted. After a brief attack by The Miz and Alex Riley, Cena hit The Rock with the Attitude Adjustment.[153] At WrestleMania, Cena and Miz fought to a double countout. The Rock restarted the match and hit Cena with a Rock Bottom, allowing The Miz to retain.[154] The next night on Raw, Cena, in response to The Rock "screwing" him out of the title, agreed to face him in the main event ofWrestleMania XXVIII, making it the first match to be set up for WrestleMania one year in advance. At Extreme Rules, Cena defeated The Miz and John Morrison to become WWE Champion.[154] Cena went on to successfully defend the title against The Miz at Over the Limit in an "I Quit" match[155] and R-Truth at Capitol Punishment.[156]
Cena then began a feud with CM Punk, who was leaving the company at Money in the Bank. Punk was enraged at Cena and The Rock, calling them "phonies", already booked to headline the next WrestleMania, and demanded change. At Money in the Bank, CM Punk defeated Cena to win the WWE Championship, and left the company with the title.[157][158][159]After Rey Mysterio was crowned WWE Champion, Cena challenged and defeated him later that night to become WWE Champion for a record-breaking ninth time,[160] only to be interrupted by CM Punk, who also claimed to be champion. Punk again defeated Cena at SummerSlam in a title unification match.[161] After Alberto Del Rio became WWE Champion by cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase, Cena became number one contender and beat Del Rio at Night of Championsto become WWE Champion for the tenth time.[162] He lost it back to Del Rio at Hell in a Cell, in a Triple Threat Hell in a Cell match also involving CM Punk.[163] Cena lost his rematch to Alberto Del Rio at Vengeance in a Last Man Standing match, due to interference by The Miz and R-Truth.[164] After a few weeks of Miz and Truth attacking Cena and other employees, Cena was allowed to choose his partner to challenge Miz and Truth at Survivor Series. Cena chose The Rock as his partner. Leading up to Survivor Series, Cena and The Rock continued to verbally assault each other, reiterating their points for their WrestleMania match, while attacking the "Awesome Truth". At the pay-per-view, after Cena and Rock defeated Miz and Truth, Rock gave Cena another Rock Bottom.[165]
On the December 12 Raw, during his match with Mark Henry, Cena was attacked by the returning Kane.[166] Cena then began a feud with Kane, who continually attacked him,[167] crediting his disgust for Cena's "Rise Above Hate" slogan and that Cena would need to embrace the hate in order to defeat The Rock at Wrestlemania.[168] Cena fought Kane to a draw at the Royal Rumble,[169] and then defeated him in an Ambulance match at Elimination Chamber.[170]
After Elimination Chamber, Cena and The Rock verbally attacked each other. AtWrestleMania XXVIII, Cena faced The Rock in the main event match which had been building for a year and was billed as "once in a lifetime". Cena claimed the match was the most important of his life and that winning was a necessity, since nobody remembers second place. The match ended when Cena attempted the People's Elbow on The Rock, and The Rock countered with a Rock Bottom for the pin.[171]
The following night on Raw, Cena addressed The Rock, admitting defeat and accepting the loss at WrestleMania; Cena then called The Rock the greatest WWE wrestler ever and invited The Rock to the ring so that he could congratulate him. However, Cena's call was answered instead by the returning Brock Lesnar, who then attacked Cena with an F-5.[172][173] This resulted in Cena feuding with the RawGeneral Manager John Laurinaitis, who revealed that he signed Lesnar to bring "legitimacy" to WWE and for Lesnar to become its "new face".[174][175][176] On April 29 at Extreme Rules, Cena defeated Lesnar in an Extreme Rules match.[177] The next night on Raw, Cena was confronted and then attacked by Laurinaitis, who declared himself Cena's opponent at Over the Limit.[178] Cena lost to Laurinaitis after Big Show interfered.[179] Laurinaitis added that Cena would face Show at No Way Out and, dependent on the winner, either Cena or Laurinaitis would be fired.[180] Cena won the match, then hit the Attitude Adjustment on Laurinaitis through the announce table. Vince McMahon then fired Laurinaitis.[181]
At Money in the Bank, Cena won his first Money in the Bank ladder match over Big Show, Chris Jericho, Kane and The Miz, earning a contract for a shot at the WWE Championship anytime within a year.[182] At Raw 1000, Cena cashed in his contract on CM Punk, and won the match by disqualification after Big Show interfered, becoming the first person to cash in a Money in the Bank contract and not win a title.[183][184] Show continued to attack Cena until The Rock arrived to make the save.[185] The following week on Raw, a WWE Championship number one contenders match between Cena and Show ended in a no contest due to interference from Punk. Following this, both men were entered in the championship match atSummerSlam by Raw General Manager AJ Lee.[186] At the event, Cena was unsuccessful as Punk would go on to retain the title once more.[187] Over the next few weeks, Cena continued feuding with Punk by refusing to call him "best in the world" and fighting him to a draw at Night of Champions on September 16.[188] On September 20, Cena was sidelined with a legitimate arm injury, rendering him inactive.[189] Because of his injury, Cena was replaced by Ryback in a Hell in a Cell match for the WWE Championship at Hell in a Cell.[190] On the November 5 Raw, Cena and Ryback were announced as part of a Triple Threat match for Punk's WWE Championship at Survivor Series, while also starting a feud with Dolph Zigglerover an alleged relationship with AJ Lee.[191] At the pay-per-view on November 19, Punk pinned Cena in the match to retain the championship.[192] Cena continued to feud with Ziggler and on December 16, at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs, lost to him in a ladder match for his World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank contract, after AJ turned on Cena.[193]The following night on Raw, Cena teamed with Vickie Guerrero to face Ziggler and AJ in a mixed tag team match, however, the match ended in a disqualification after Cena was attacked by the débuting Big E Langston.[194] Cena then defeated Ziggler on the January 7, 2013 episode of Raw in a singles match, and again in a steel cage match the following week, despite interference from AJ and Langston in both matches.[195][196]
On January 27, Cena entered the Royal Rumble match at #19 and won after last eliminating Ryback, becoming the fourth wrestler (after Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and Stone Cold Steve Austin) to win multiple Rumble matches.[197] The following night on Raw, Cena announced that he would pursue the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29, after which, he would be assaulted by The Shield.[198] The following week on Raw, Cena would gain vengeance on the Shield when he, along with Ryback and Sheamus, attacked the stable.[199] This culminated in a six-man tag team match on February 17 atElimination Chamber, where the Shield emerged victorious.[200] On the February 25 Raw, Cena defeated CM Punk to reaffirm his status as number one contender for the Rock's WWE Championship.[201] Cena then returned to his rivalry with The Rock, with Cena blaming his personal and professional troubles on his loss to the Rock the previous year, going so far as admitting his own vanity had cost him the match.[202][203] On April 7 at WrestleMania 29, Cena defeated Rock in their rematch to win his eleventh WWE Championship.[204] The following night on Raw, Cena began a rivalry with Ryback, after he saved Cena from a post-match assault from Mark Henry only to attack Cena himself.[205][206] During his feud with Ryback, Cena suffered a legitimate achilles tendon injury,[207] while also battling the Shield and facing them in losing efforts.[208][209][210] On May 19 at Extreme Rules, Cena retained the WWE Championship against Ryback in a Last Man Standing Match after Ryback rammed Cena and himself into the electric backdrop at the top of the ramp, resulting in a no contest.[211] On June 16 at Payback, Cena defeated Ryback in a 3 Stages of Hell match to retain the WWE Championship, with Cena losing the Lumberjack match and winning the Tables match and the Ambulance match.[212] The following night on Raw, Cena was attacked by the returning Mark Henry, who feigned his "retirement", with World's Strongest Slam, sparking a rivalry between the two.[213] On July 15 at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, Cena defeated Henry via submission to retain the WWE Championship.[214] The next night on Raw, new Raw general manager Brad Maddoxannounced that he would allow Cena to choose his own opponent for SummerSlam. Later in the night, after taking an informal poll of the live audience, he chose Daniel Bryan.[215] On August 18 at the pay-per-view, Cena lost the WWE Championship to Bryan, with Triple H as the special guest referee, ending his reign at 133 days.[216] The following night onRaw, Cena announced that he would undergo surgery for a triceps tear and would be out for four to six months.[217]
Championship pursuits and various feuds (2013–2015)
On the October 7 episode of Raw, it was announced that Cena would return at Hell in a Cell for an opportunity at the World Heavyweight Championship.[218] Cena defeated Del Rio at the pay-per-view on October 27 to win his third World Heavyweight title.[219] The following night on Raw, Cena defeated Damien Sandow in his first title defense after Sandow attacked Cena before the match and cashed in his Money in the Bank contract.[220] Cena successfully defended his title against Del Rio at Survivor Series.[221]
On the November 25 episode of Raw, Cena challenged WWE Champion Randy Orton to unify their respective championships, with the Authority agreeing and arranging for a Tables, Ladders & Chairs title unification match at the TLCpay-per-view, which Cena lost.[222] A rematch occurred at the Royal Rumble for the unified WWE World Heavyweight title, where Cena lost after being distracted by the Wyatt Family.[223] The next night on Raw, Cena, Sheamus and Daniel Bryan won an Elimination Chamber qualifying match against the Shield by disqualification due to another attack by the Wyatts.[224]At Elimination Chamber, the Wyatt Family interfered yet again in the Elimination Chamber match, causing Cena's elimination.[225]
After Elimination Chamber, Wyatt accepted Cena's challenge for a WrestleMania match,[226] Wyatt wanted to prove that Cena's heroic act was a facade characteristic of "this era of lies" while further wanting to turn Cena into a "monster".[227][228]At WrestleMania XXX, Cena successfully resisted the urge to become a "monster" and overcame interference from Harper and Rowan to defeat Wyatt.[229] The feud continued after WrestleMania based on the story that Wyatt was capturing Cena's fanbase, which was exemplified by Wyatt leading a children's choir to the ring on the April 28 episode of Raw, with the children later putting on sheep masks.[230] At Extreme Rules, Wyatt defeated Cena in a steel cage match, after repeated interference from the rest of the Wyatt Family and a demonic child.[231] Cena's feud with Wyatt continued with a Last Man Standing match being set up for Payback. At the pay-per-view, Cena buried Wyatt under multiple equipment cases to win the match.[232]
On the June 16 episode of Raw, Cena defeated Kane in a stretcher match to qualify for the ladder match at Money in the Bank for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship. At the pay-per-view, Cena won the title, which would be his 15th world championship.[233] Cena then retained the title at Battleground in a four-way match against Roman Reigns, Orton and Kane.[234] At SummerSlam, Cena lost the championship to Brock Lesnar in a squash match, during which Lesnar hit Cena with sixteen suplexes and two F-5s, ending his reign at only 49 days.[235] Cena invoked his title rematch clause against Lesnar for Night of Champions, nearly winning before Seth Rollins attacked him to cause a disqualification.[236]Cena then began feuding with Dean Ambrose for the right to face Rollins at Hell in a Cell, but Ambrose got that right after beating Cena in a No Holds Barred Contract on a Pole match. Cena would instead face Randy Orton in a Hell in a Cell match to determine the number one contender to face Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, which Cena won.[237]
On October 27 episode of Raw, Cena rejected the Authority's offer to join forces. This resulted in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination tag match between Team Cena and Team Authority at Survivor Series.[238] Cena's team consisted of Dolph Ziggler, Big Show, Erick Rowan and Ryback; At Survivor Series, Big Show turned on Cena, causing Cena's elimination, but Ziggler eventually won the match for Team Cena with the interfering Sting's help. Thus as per the match stipulation, the Authority were stripped from power and only Cena could bring them back.[239] At TLC, Cena defeated Rollins in a Tables match to retain his WWE World Heavyweight Championship #1 contender status. It was then announced that Cena would face Lesnar for the title at the Royal Rumble.[240] On the December 29 episode of Raw, Rollins and Big Show held guest host Edge hostage, forcing Cena to reinstate the Authority.[241] On the January 5 edition of Raw, The Authority added Rollins to the title match at the Royal Rumble involving Cena and Lesnar and Ziggler, Ryback and Rowan were fired for joining Team Cena at Survivor Series.[242] On the 19 January edition of Raw, Cena won a handicap match against Rollins, Big Show and Kane to retain his title shot at the Royal Rumble and win back the jobs of Ziggler, Ryback and Rowan. At the Royal Rumble, Cena was unsuccessful in capturing the title.[243]
United States Champion (2015–present)
Following the Royal Rumble, Cena began feuding with the United States Champion Rusev. In the beginning of the feud, Cena was depicted as an "old veteran". At Fastlane, Rusev won after Cena passed out to Rusev's submission, the Accolade, after Rusev hit Cena with a low blow following a distraction from his manager Lana.[244] In the following weeks, Cena challenged Rusev to a rematch, which was declined. Stephanie McMahon decreed that Cena would not compete atWrestleMania 31 unless Rusev agreed to a match.[245] On the March 9 episode of Raw, Cena attacked Rusev, refusing to release the STF submission hold even though Rusev tapped out. This continued until Lana granted Cena a title rematch at WrestleMania against Rusev.[246] At the event, Cena pinned Rusev to win the United States Championship for the fourth time, marking Rusev's first pinfall loss.[247] The following night on Raw, Cena announced that he would issue an open challenge each week on Raw with his United States Championship on the line, where he would defeat the likes of Dean Ambrose, Stardust, Bad News Barrett and Kane. On the April 2 episode of SmackDown, Rusev invoked his rematch clause to face Cena for the title at Extreme Rules; It was later announced that their match would be a Russian Chain match. Cena defeated Rusev at the event to retain the title, but it was later announced that Cena would once again defend the title against Rusev in an "I Quit" match at Payback,[248] which Cena controversially won when Lana told the referee Rusev said he quit in Bulgarian; the ring announcer had said the loser must "literally say the words 'I quit'".[249]
Other media
Film
WWE Studios, a division of WWE which produces and finances motion pictures, produced Cena's first movie — The Marine, which was distributed theatrically by20th Century Fox America beginning on October 13, 2006. In its first week, the film made approximately US$7 million at the United States box office.[250] After ten weeks in theaters, the film grossed $18.7 million.[250] Once the film was released on DVD, it fared better, making $30 million in rentals in the first twelve weeks.[250]
His second film, also produced by WWE Studios, was 12 Rounds.[251] Filming began on February 25, 2008 in New Orleans;[251][252] the film was released on March 27, 2009.
Cena co-starred in his third film produced by WWE Studios, titled Legendary, which was played in selected theaters starting on September 10, 2010, for a limited time,[253] then it was released on DVD on September 28, 2010.[254]
That same year, Cena starred in the children's film Fred: The Movie, a film based on Lucas Cruikshank's YouTube videos of the same name, where he plays Fred's father.[255] The movie was released on the Nickelodeon channel in September 2010.[256]
Guest appearances
Before his WWE début, Cena made an appearance on the Internet stream show Go Sick as Bruebaker, an angry, cursing wrestler in 2001.[257]
During his WWE career, Cena has appeared on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! three times. Cena has also appeared on morning radio shows; including the CBS and XM versions ofOpie and Anthony as part of their "walkover" on October 10, 2006. Other appearances have included NBC's Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Fuse's Celebrity Playlist, Fox Sports Net'sThe Best Damn Sports Show Period, FOX's MADtv, G4's Training Camp (with Shelton Benjamin), and two appearances on MTV's Punk'd (August 2006 and May 2007), as the victim of a practical joke. He also served as a co-presenter, with Hulk Hogan, at the 2005Teen Choice Awards, as a guest judge during the third week of the 2006 season ofNashville Star, and appeared at the 2007 Nickelodeon UK Kids Choice Awards.[258]
In January 2007, Cena, Batista, and Ashley Massaro appeared representing WWE on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,[259] giving the children of the family whose house was being renovated WWE merchandise and eight tickets to WrestleMania 23.[260]Two months later, he and Bobby Lashley appeared on the NBC game show Deal or No Deal as "moral support" to long time WWE fan and front row staple, Rick "Sign Guy" Achberger. Edge and Randy Orton also appeared, but as antagonists.[261] On April 9, 2008, Cena, along with fellow wrestlers Triple H and Chris Jericho, appeared on the Idol Gives Back fund-raising special.[262] In March 2009, Cena made an appearance on Saturday Night Live during the show's cold opening sequence.[263] On March 7, 2009, he was a guest onNPR's quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in a Not My Job sequence titled "Sure, pro wrestling is a good gig, but when you win, do they throw teddy bears into the ring?"[264]
Television
In 2001, between his training in Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling,[24] Cena was involved in the UPNproduced reality show Manhunt. Cena portrayed Big Tim Kingman, leader of the group of bounty hunters who chased down the contestants who acted as fugitives. The show, however, was mired in controversy when it was alleged that the portions of the show were rigged to eliminate certain players, scenes were re-shot or staged to enhance drama and contestants read from scripts.[265][266][267]
Cena was featured on the ABC reality series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, which aired in June 2007,[268] making it to the final round before being eliminated on June 24, placing third in the competition overall.[269]
In 2007, Cena was interviewed for the CNN Special Investigations Unit documentary, Death Grip: Inside Pro Wrestling, which focused on steroid and drug use in professional wrestling. When asked if he had taken steroids he was heard to reply, "I can't tell you that I haven't, but you'll never prove that I have."[270] The day after the documentary aired, WWE accused CNN of taking Cena's comments out of context to present a biased point of view, backing up their claim by posting an unedited video of Cena answering the same question – filmed by WWE cameras from another angle – in which he is heard beginning the same statement with "absolutely not".[271] A text interview on the website with Cena later had him saying the news outlet should apologize for misrepresenting him,[272] which CNN refused, saying they felt the true answer to the question began with the phrase "my answer to that question".[273] They did, however, edit the documentary on subsequent airings to include the "absolutely not".[273]
Cena hosted the Australian Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards with Natalie Bassingthwaighte on October 11, 2008 inMelbourne.[274]
Cena guest starred as Ewan O'Hara, brother of Juliet O'Hara, in an episode of the fourth season of the comedy dramaPsych.[275] He also guest starred as himself in the seventh episode of Disney Channel's Hannah Montana Forever.
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Cena has granted over 400 wishes for Arizona children with life-threatening illnesses through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, making him the current record holder.[276][277][278] In 2009, Cena received the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award.[279]
Endorsements
Before his professional wrestling career, Cena appeared in an advertisement forGold's Gym. As a wrestler he has endorsed the energy drink YJ Stinger,[280]appearing in commercials beginning in October 2003, and Subway,[281] for whom he filmed advertisements with their spokesperson Jared Fogle in November 2006 that began airing the next January. For a time in 2007 he also endorsed two "signature collections" of energy drinks and energy bars sold by American Body Builders.[282]In 2008, Cena filmed a commercial as part of Gillette's "Young Guns" NASCARcampaign.[283]
In 2009, Cena expanded his relationship with Gillette by introducing a new online campaign called "Be A Superstar" featuring himself alongside fellow WWE wrestlers Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes. The campaign features motivational videos.[284]
Fashion
For the extent of his WWE career, Cena's attire has attempted to reflect the most current fashions and stylings within the hip hop culture that his characterrepresents. Cena started out wearing "throwback jerseys" until WWE produced specific Cena merchandise which he began wearing.[285] While Cena was a member of the SmackDown! brand, one of his WWE produced T-shirts bore the suggestivespoonerism "Ruck Fules". Whenever it appeared on television the image was censored, not by the network, but by WWE to sell more shirts under the premise that it was "too hot for TV."[286] He also wore a chain with a large padlock, occasionally using it as a weapon,[287] until WrestleMania 21, when it was replaced with a chromed and diamond studded "Chain Gang" spinner medallion—reminiscent of the ones worn by members of G-Unit—matching his spinner title belt.
Around the time The Marine was released, Cena began wearing attire more military related, including camouflage shorts, dog tags, a Marine soldier cap and a WWE produced shirt with the legend "Chain Gang Assault Battalion."[288] Shortly after WrestleMania 23, when promotion for The Marine ended, the military attire diminished and was replaced with apparel bearing his new slogan "American Made Muscle" along with denim shorts, not seen since he was a member of the SmackDown roster.[289] He then wore shirts that promoted Cenation and his trademark line "You Can't See Me". From late 2011 until Wrestlemania XXVIII, Cena again switched to camo shorts (honoring the U.S. Armed Forces), to coincide with his black "Rise Above Hate" T-shirt promoting WWE's "Be a Star" anti-bullying campaign. On September 16, 2012, Cena débuted a new pink and black T-shirt and cap combo with the phrase "Rise Above Cancer" that he wore through October in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure in honor of breast cancer awareness month.
Music
Main article: John Cena discography
| John Cena | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | John Felix Anthony Cena |
| Born | April 23, 1977 West Newbury, Massachusetts |
| Origin | West Newbury, Massachusetts |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper |
| Years active | 2004–2005, 2014 |
| Labels | Columbia Records, WWE Music Group |
| Associated acts | Tha Trademarc, Jake One,Wiz Khalifa |
 |
Sample from "The Time Is Now" by John Cena & Tha Trademarc.
|
| Problems playing this file? See media help. | |
In addition to his wrestling career, Cena is a rapper and a hip hop musician. Cena performed his fifth WWE theme song, "Basic Thugonomics," himself, and it was featured on the WWE soundtrack album WWE Originals. He also recorded a song,"Untouchables", for the company's next soundtrack albumWWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6. He collaborated on the song H-U-S-T-L-E remix along with Murs, E-40, and Chingo Bling.[290]
Cena's debut album, You Can't See Me, was recorded with his cousin Tha Trademarc. It features, amongst other songs, his entrance theme, "The Time is Now", and the single "Bad, Bad Man", for which a music video was made that parodied 1980s culture, including the television show The A-Team. A video was also made for the second single, "Right Now," and premiered on the August 8 Raw. Cena and Tha Trademarc were later featured on a track byThe Perceptionists named "Champion Scratch." Cena will appear onTionne "T-Boz" Watkins' upcoming album Still Cool featuring other guests.[291]
In October 2014, Cena was featured on two songs with rapper Wiz Khalifa for his two singles "All Day" and "Breaks" for the soundtrack to the WWE 2K15 video game.[292]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Ready to Rumble | Gym Trainer | Uncredited extra |
| 2006 | The Marine | John Triton | |
| 2009 | 12 Rounds | Danny Fisher | |
| 2010 | Legendary | Mike Chetley | |
| 2010 | Fred: The Movie | Fred's Imaginary Dad | |
| 2011 | The Reunion | Sam Cleary | |
| 2011 | Fred 2: Night of the Living Fred | Fred's Imaginary Dad | |
| 2012 | Fred 3: Camp Fred | Fred's Imaginary Dad | |
| 2014 | Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery | Himself | (voice) |
| 2015 | The Flintstones & WWE: Stone Age SmackDown! | John Cenastone | (voice) |
| 2015 | Trainwreck | Steven | Post-production |
| 2015 | Sisters | Filming |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Tracy Morgan/Kelly Clarkson (season 34: episode 18) |
| 2010 | Psych | Ewan O'Hara | "You Can't Handle This Episode" (season 4: episode 10) |
| True Jackson, VP | Himself | "Pajama Party" (season 2: episode 12) | |
| Hannah Montana | Himself | "Love That Lets Go" (season 4: episode 9) | |
| Generator Rex | Hunter Cain | Voice role "The Hunter" (season 1: episode 13) | |
| 2012 | Fred: The Show | Fred's Dad | Recurring role |
| 2015 | Parks and Recreation | Himself | "The Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show" (season 7: episode 10) |
- Non-acting appearances
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Manhunt | |
| 2007 | Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race | |
| 2013–present | Total Divas | Appearing with girlfriend Nikki Bella |
Video games
Cena appears in many video games; he made his video game debut in WWE SmackDown! Here Comes The Pain and appears in WWE SmackDown! vs Raw, WWE SmackDown! vs. Raw 2006, WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2007, WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2008, WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2009, WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2010, WWE SmackDown vs Raw 2011, WWE '12, WWE '13, WWE 2K14, and WWE 2K15.
Personal life
Cena writes left-handed.[293] He is a fan of Japanese anime and has mentioned that his favorite anime movie is Fist of the North Star.[294] He has also said he is a fan of the video game series Command & Conquer and noted that it was his favorite game.[295] Cena is also a fan of the Boston Red Sox,[294] Tampa Bay Rays,[296] Los Angeles Dodgers,[297] New England Patriots,[298] Boston Celtics[294] and English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.[299] Cena collects muscle cars and has over 20, some of which are one-of-a-kind.[2]
While promoting his 2009 film, 12 Rounds, Cena announced his engagement[300][301] to his girlfriend Elizabeth Huberdeau. They were married on July 11, 2009. On May 1, 2012, Cena filed for divorce,[302] which was finalized on July 18.[303] In November 2012, TMZ reported that Cena is dating WWE Diva Nikki Bella.
Championships and accomplishments
- Pro Wrestling Illustrated
- Feud of the Year (2006) vs. Edge[325]
- Feud of the Year (2011) vs. CM Punk[326]
- Match of the Year (2007) vs. Shawn Michaels on Raw on April 23[327]
- Match of the Year (2011) vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank[328]
- Match of the Year (2013) vs. Daniel Bryan at SummerSlam[329]
- Match of the Year (2014) vs. Bray Wyatt in a Last Man Standing match at Payback[330]
- Most Improved Wrestler of the Year (2003)[331]
- Most Popular Wrestler of the Year (2004, 2005, 2007, 2012)[332]
- Most Popular Wrestler of the Decade (2000-2009)
- Wrestler of the Year (2006, 2007)[333]
- PWI ranked him 1 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2006, 2007, and 2013[334][335][336]
- World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
- WWE (World Heavyweight) Championship (12 times)[337]
- World Heavyweight Championship (3 times)[338]
- WWE United States Championship (4 times, current)[339]
- World Tag Team Championship (2 times)[340] – with Batista (1) and Shawn Michaels(1)
- WWE Tag Team Championship (2 times) – with The Miz (1) and David Otunga(1)[143]
- Money in the Bank (2012 – WWE Championship contract)
- Royal Rumble (2008, 2013)
- Slammy Awards (nine times)
- Superstar of the Year (2009, 2010, and 2012)
- Holy $#!+ Move of the Year (2010) – Sends Batista through the stage with an Attitude Adjustment
- Game Changer of the Year (2011) – with The Rock
- Insult of the Year (2012) – To Dolph Ziggler and Vickie Guerrero: "You're the exact opposite. One enjoys eating a lot of nuts and the other is still trying to find his"
- Kiss of the Year (2012) – with AJ Lee
- Match of the Year (2013, 2014) – vs. The Rock for the WWE Championship atWrestleMania 29, Team Cena vs. Team Authority at Survivor Series
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter
- 5 Star Match (2011) vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank on July 17
- Best Box Office Draw (2007)[341]
- Best Gimmick (2003)[341]
- Best on Interviews (2007)[341]
- Feud of the Year (2011)[342] vs. CM Punk
- Match of the Year (2011)[342] vs. CM Punk at Money in the Bank on July 17
- Most Charismatic (2006–2010)[341]
- Most Charismatic of the Decade (2000–2009)[343]
- Wrestler of the Year (2007, 2010)[341]
- Worst Feud of the Year (2012) vs. Kane[344]
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2012) vs. John Laurinaitis at Over the Limit on May 20[344]
- Worst Worked Match of the Year (2014) vs. Bray Wyatt at Extreme Rules on May 4[345]
- Wrestling Observer Newsletter Hall of Fame (Class of 2012)[346]
- Other awards and honors
- Springfield College Athletic Hall of Fame inductee (Class of 2015)[347]
- Make-A-Wish Foundation Chris Greicius Celebrity Award
- Make-A-Wish Foundation Special Recognition Award (for being the first to grant 300 wishes)[348]
- 2014 Sports Social TV Entertainer of the Year[349]
- 2014 Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure Grand Marshal[350]
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