All the nicknames of WWE superstar John Cena justify his professional calibre as a wrestler, but it is his recognition as a record-setting Make-A-Wish granter that endears him to the world of do-gooders. He is involved in several philanthropic causes and has made history for gifting the highest number of wishes to the ‘Make-A-Wish’ Foundation – 580 in total!
To celebrate World Wish Day on April 29, which is the 38th anniversary of the wish that inspired the founding of the organization, Make-A-Wish launched a month-long campaign based on the theme ‘it takes more than magic, it takes muscles. The campaign features a series of public service announcements to grant as many wishes as possible, one of which appears alongside John Cena, the legend who has made philanthropy a lifestyle.
Talking about the Foundation, he is quoted to have said, “What I do for Make-A-Wish is I make children and families that are up against some pretty tough circumstances, I let them come into our WWE universe, and I do my best to make them feel good. I’ve seen a lot of kids and a lot of families happy, and I think people are going to watch ‘American Grit’ and have emotional moments.”
Positive in his outlook, simple in his appearance and downright honest about his opinions, Cena has marked his stamp of superstardom on the world. Born on April 23, 1977, in West Newbury, Massachusetts, he had a normal childhood and played football in college. Following his graduation in 1998, he pursued a career in bodybuilding while working as a driver for a limousine company.
A year later, he started training to become a professional wrestler at Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW), where he also created the semi-robotic character, The Prototype. He held the UPW Heavyweight Championship for 27 days in April 2000 and wrestled for UPW until March 2001. In 2003 he returned to UPW for a night but lost to Frankie Kazarian.
But that didn’t deter Cena; he savoured success in 2004 and was soon heralded as a celebrity – which has continued to date. Throughout his WWE career, Cena has won 25 championships, with 16 world champion titles. He is also a five-time United States Champion and a four-time world tag team champion. He has the fourth-highest number of combined days as WWE Champion, behind Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, and Hulk Hogan. He has also headlined WWE’s flagship event, Wrestle Mania, on five different occasions.
Wrestling is not the only feat in Cena’s trophy shelf. In 2005 he released the rap album ‘You Can’t See Me’, which debuted at No. 15 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart. He also forayed into films in 2006, with his first role in ‘The Marine’. He went on to star in several other films and made appearances on television shows.
John Cena is a big inspiration to all his fans. His messages, both as a wrestler and a philanthropist, are what make him a superstar in every respect. As he says, “When you look back at your body of work, no matter what your career path, by the time you hang them up, if you can say, ‘This place is in better shape than when I started,’ then you did good.”