John Felix Anthony Cena ( SEE-nə; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor, retired professional wrestler, and former rapper. He is signed to WWE as a brand ambassador. Cena wrestled for WWE for 24 years, becoming a record-setting 17-time world champion, before transitioning fully into his acting career.
Cena began professional wrestling in 1999 and signed with the World Wrestling Federation in 2001 (renamed WWE in 2002), where he began in its then-developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). After debuting on the main roster on WWE SmackDown! in 2002, he rose to prominence as a brash heel rapper, before becoming the company's franchise player from the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s. He wrestled on a part-time schedule from 2017 until his retirement in 2025. His run as a face from 2003 to 2025 was the longest continuous portrayal of a heroic character in WWE history.
Cena held numerous championships and accomplishments in WWE, including the WWE Championship a record 14 times, the World Heavyweight Championship three times, the WWE United States Championship five times, the WWE Intercontinental Championship once, the World Tag Team Championship twice, and the WWE Tag Team Championship twice. He is the 35th Triple Crown and 25th Grand Slam champion, won the Royal Rumble match twice, the Elimination Chamber match four times, the Money in the Bank match once, and headlined multiple major WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming events. Cena's full-time career received mixed critical and audience reception, with praise for his character work and promotional skills but criticism for his perceived over-representation and on-screen dominance relative to other wrestlers. In contrast, his later career was more positively received.
Cena began acting in 2006 and has done both comedy and action films, receiving praise for his roles in Trainwreck (2015), Blockers (2018), and The Suicide Squad (2021). He has also starred in films such as The Marine (2006), Bumblebee (2018), and F9 (2021), as well as portraying the title character in the superhero series Peacemaker (2022–2025). In music, he released the rap album You Can't See Me in 2005, which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200. Cena is also known for his charity work, granting more than 650 wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the most in the organization's history.
Early life
John Felix Anthony Cena was born in West Newbury, Massachusetts, on April 23, 1977, to Carol and John Joseph Cena. He has four brothers named Dan, Matt, Steve, and Sean. Their maternal grandfather was baseball player Tony Lupien, a son of businessman Ulysses J. Lupien, and the brothers are cousins of computer scientist Natalie Enright Jerger. Cena was educated at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts, before moving to Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. He then attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he was an NCAA Division III All-American center and football team captain. After graduating in 1999 with a degree in exercise physiology and kinesiology, he pursued a bodybuilding career and worked as a limousine driver. He also worked at Gold's Gym.
Professional wrestling career
Ultimate Pro Wrestling (1999–2001)
In 1998, Cena moved to California to train for professional wrestling at Ultimate Pro Wrestling's (UPW) Ultimate University, operated by Rick Bassman. He adopted a semi-robotic persona called "the Prototype", wrestling at local events and holding the UPW Heavyweight Championship in 2000. His early career was partially featured in the Discovery Channel documentary Inside Pro Wrestling School. Cena remained with UPW until March 2001.
World Wrestling Federation/Entertainment/WWE (2000–present)
Ohio Valley Wrestling (2000–2002)
On October 10, 2000, Cena made his unofficial World Wrestling Federation (WWF) debut in a dark match on WWE SmackDown! as the Prototype. He signed a developmental contract in 2001 and was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), WWF's developmental territory, where he held the OVW Heavyweight Championship and the OVW Southern Tag Team Championship with Rico Constantino. While competing in OVW, Cena also wrestled in WWF dark matches and house shows before being called up to the main roster in June 2002. He continued to appear in OVW until September and made a final appearance there in November under the name Mr. P.
Doctor of Thuganomics (2002–2004)
Cena made his official WWE television debut on June 27, 2002, answering Kurt Angle's open challenge on SmackDown! and declaring he possessed "ruthless aggression". Even though he lost the match against Angle, Cena was praised for his efforts in the match. Cena soon feuded with Chris Jericho, defeating Jericho at Vengeance on July 21. On the October 24 episode of SmackDown!, Cena attacked Billy Kidman after losing to him, turning heel for the first time in his WWE career. After the heel turn, Cena adopted a rapper persona inspired by a backstage freestyle overheard by Stephanie McMahon and Paul Heyman. Debuting the "Doctor of Thuganomics" character, Cena began performing freestyle raps in promos and wore jerseys and hats as part of his gimmick, along with the slogan "Word Life". Cena was briefly paired with enforcer B-2 and then Red Dogg until Red Dogg was sent to the Raw brand in February. At the Royal Rumble on January 19, 2003, Cena made his first appearance in the Royal Rumble match but was eliminated by the Undertaker. Cena then entered a number-one contender tournament for the WWE Championship, defeating Eddie Guerrero, the Undertaker, and Chris Benoit before losing to champion Brock Lesnar at Backlash on April 27. Cena continued high-profile feuds with the Undertaker, losing to him at Vengeance on July 27, and Angle, losing to him at No Mercy on October 19. He eventually turned face on the November 6 episode of SmackDown!, joining Angle's team at Survivor Series on November 16, where Team Angle defeated Team Lesnar (Brock Lesnar, A-Train, Big Show, Matt Morgan, and Nathan Jones).
At the Royal Rumble on January 25, 2004, Cena participated in the Royal Rumble match and was eliminated by Big Show, and then lost a Triple Threat match to determine the number one contender to the WWE Championship to Angle (also involving Big Show) No Way Out on February 15. At WrestleMania XX on March 14, Cena defeated Big Show to win the United States Championship, his first singles title in WWE. Cena retained the title at Judgment Day on May 16 against René Duprée, and then at The Great American Bash on June 27 against Booker T, Réne Duprée, and Rob Van Dam, before being stripped of it on the July 8 of SmackDown! after accidentally knocking over Angle, who had become General Manager, during his title defense against Booker T. Cena regained the title by defeating Booker T in a best of five series that began at SummerSlam on August 15, and concluded at No Mercy on October 3, but Cena lost the United States Championship days later to Carlito Caribbean Cool on the October 7 episode of SmackDown!. Their storyline escalated when Cena was (kayfabe) stabbed in a nightclub by Carlito's bodyguard Jesús, an angle used to explain his absence while filming The Marine. Cena returned at Survivor Series to team with Eddie Guerrero, Big Show, and Rob Van Dam to defeat Angle, Luther Reigns, Mark Jindrak, and Carlito in a Survivor Series match on November 14, and regained the title on the November 18 episode of SmackDown!, then defeated Jesús in a street fight at Armageddon on December 12.
WWE Champion (2005–2007)
At the Royal Rumble on January 30, 2005, Cena and Bautista were the final two participants and were eliminated simultaneously by one-another. After a restart, Bautista won. Cena defeated Kurt Angle at No Way Out on February 20 in the finals of a tournament to determine the number one contender for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21 on April 3, beginning a feud with champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield (JBL). Although Cena lost his United States Championship to Orlando Jordan on the March 3 episode of SmackDown!, Cena defeated JBL at WrestleMania to win his first WWE Championship. Cena introduced a customized spinner belt and defeated JBL again in an "I Quit" match at Judgment Day on May 22.
As part of the 2005 WWE Draft Lottery on the June 6 episode of WWE Raw, Cena was drafted to the Raw brand by becoming the first pick. Cena began a feud with General Manager Eric Bischoff, who opposed Cena's refusal to participate in fighting the ECW roster at ECW One Night Stand on June 12. At Vengeance on June 26, Cena retained his title in a triple threat match against Christian and Chris Jericho. Bischoff backed Jericho as his chosen challenger, but Cena retained his championship against Jericho at SummerSlam on August 21, and defeated Jericho again in a "You're Fired" match on the August 22 episode of Raw. Angle subsequently replaced Jericho as Bischoff's hand-picked contender. Over the next few months, Cena lost to Angle by disqualification at Unforgiven on September 18, pinned Shawn Michaels at Taboo Tuesday on November 1 in a triple threat match involving Angle, and pinned Angle at Survivor Series on November 27. During this feud, Cena added a submission finisher, the STF, in preparation for a triple threat submission match for the WWE Championship against Angle and Chris Masters on the November 28 episode of Raw.
Cena retained the WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber match against Carlito, Chris Masters, Shawn Michaels, Kane, and Angle at New Year's Revolution on January 8, 2006, but immediately lost it to Edge, who cashed in his Money in the Bank contract. Cena regained the title by defeating Edge at the Royal Rumble on January 29, and retained it against Triple H at WrestleMania 22 on April 2, Cena's first WrestleMania headlining match. Cena lost the title a few months later to Rob Van Dam at ECW One Night Stand on June 11 due to Edge's interference, in a match where the crowd was notably hostile to Cena. Edge later won the title from Van Dam in a Triple Threat match involving Cena on the July 3 episode of Raw, leading to a lengthy feud that ended with Cena defeating Edge in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match at Unforgiven on September 17 to reclaim the championship. Cena returned with his version of the spinner title belt on the next night's Raw. Cena was involved in a Champion of Champions match at Cyber Sunday on November 5 against Big Show and King Booker. Kevin Federline interfered and cost Cena the match, leading to the duo feuding. In the new year, Federline pinned Cena on the January 1, 2007 episode of Raw with an assist from Umaga. Cena then defended his championship against Umaga twice at New Year's Revolution on January 7, and in a Last Man Standing match at the Royal Rumble on January 28.
The night afterwards on Raw, Cena teamed with Shawn Michaels to win the World Tag Team Championship from Rated-RKO (Edge and Randy Orton) before defeating Michaels at WrestleMania 23 on April 1 to retain the WWE Championship. Michaels turned on Cena the night after, costing the pair the World Tag Team Championship in a battle royal. In the summer, Cena also defeated The Great Khali at Judgment Day on May 20 by submission, and then at One Night Stand on June 3 by pinfall, defeated Bobby Lashley, King Booker, Mick Foley, and Randy Orton in a five-pack challenge at Vengeance: Night of Champions on June 24, and successfully defended his title against Lashley at The Great American Bash on July 22. He then began a feud with Randy Orton, retaining the title against Orton at SummerSlam on August 26, followed by another win at Unforgiven on September 16. On the October 1 episode of Raw, Cena suffered a legitimate torn pectoral muscle during a match against Mr. Kennedy and was sidelined indefinitely. Cena was stripped of the WWE Championship the following night on ECW, ending his 380-day reign. Cena underwent surgery for his injury at St. Vincent's Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.
World Heavyweight Champion (2008–2010)
At the Royal Rumble on January 27, 2008, Cena made a surprise return as the final participant of the Royal Rumble match, which he won by last eliminating Triple H. Rather than wait for WrestleMania XXIV on March 30, Cena used his title shot against WWE Champion Randy Orton at No Way Out on February 17 but won by disqualification, thus not capturing the title. Despite this, Cena was later added to the title match at WrestleMania XXIV, making it a triple threat, but was pinned by Orton. Following WrestleMania, Cena feuded with JBL, defeating JBL at Judgment Day on May 18, and at One Night Stand on June 1 in a First Blood match. Cena later unsuccessfully challenged Triple H for the WWE Championship at Night of Champions on June 29, before losing to JBL in a New York City Parking Lot Brawl at The Great American Bash on July 20.
On the August 4 episode of Raw, Cena and Bautista won the World Tag Team Championship by defeating Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase. Cena and Batista lost the titles back to Rhodes and DiBiase on the August 11 episode of Raw. At SummerSlam on August 17, in a loss to Batista, Cena suffered a legitimate neck injury, which sidelined him until his return at Survivor Series on November 23 following surgery, where he defeated Chris Jericho to win his first World Heavyweight Championship. While retaining the title first against Jericho at Armageddon on December 14, and then against JBL at the Royal Rumble on January 25, 2009, Cena lost the title to Edge at No Way Out in an Elimination Chamber match. Cena regained the title at WrestleMania 25 on April 5 in a triple threat match involving Big Show but lost it back to Edge at Backlash on April 26 in a Last Man Standing match after Big Show chokeslammed Cena through a spotlight. Cena then began a feud with Big Show, first defeating him at Judgment Day on May 17, and then at Extreme Rules on June 7 in a Submission match, and ended a brief feud with The Miz, which began on the April 27 episode of Raw, at The Bash on June 28.
Cena competed against Randy Orton and Triple H in a Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship at Night of Champions on July 26, but lost. On the July 27 episode of Raw, Cena became the number one contender for Orton's WWE Championship at SummerSlam on August 23, where he was again unsuccessful, but captured the title at Breaking Point on September 13 by defeating Orton in an "I Quit" match. Cena further traded the championship with Orton several times over the year, losing it to Orton a month later at Hell in a Cell on October 4, and regaining it at Bragging Rights on October 25 in a 60-minute iron man match under Anything Goes rules. Cena successfully defended the title against Shawn Michaels and Triple H in a Triple Threat match at Survivor Series on November 22, before losing it to Sheamus at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 13 in a tables match. After being eliminated by a surprise-returning Edge at the Royal Rumble on January 31, 2010, Cena regained the WWE Championship by defeating Triple H, Sheamus, Kofi Kingston, Ted DiBiase, and Randy Orton in an Elimination Chamber match at Elimination Chamber on February 21 but lost it moments later to Batista in an impromptu match. Cena defeated Batista to regain the title at WrestleMania XXVI on March 28, and retained the title in a Last Man Standing match at Extreme Rules on April 25, and then in an "I Quit" match at Over the Limit on May 23, ending their feud.
Storyline with the Nexus (2010–2011)
On the June 7 episode of Raw, during a match against CM Punk, Cena was attacked by all eight former contestants of the first season of NXT, with Wade Barrett as their leader. This group, later referring to itself as the Nexus, made Cena lose the WWE Championship to Sheamus at Fatal 4-Way on June 20, as well as their steel cage match on July 18 at Money in the Bank. Cena formed an alliance with Edge, Chris Jericho, John Morrison, R-Truth, Bret Hart, and former Nexus member Daniel Bryan to defeat the Nexus at SummerSlam on August 15. At Night of Champions on September 19, Cena was eliminated by Barrett in a six-pack challenge elimination match for the WWE Championship.
At Hell in a Cell on October 3, Cena faced Barrett with the stipulations that if he were to lose, he would join the Nexus, and if he were to win, the Nexus would disband. Cena lost to Barrett and reluctantly joined the Nexus. On October 24, Cena and fellow Nexus member David Otunga defeated Rhodes and Drew McIntyre to win the WWE Tag Team Championship at Bragging Rights. Later that night, Cena was forced to help Barrett defeat Orton in a WWE Championship match; Barrett won by disqualification, but not the title. The next night on Raw, Cena and Otunga lost the titles to fellow Nexus members Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel when Barrett ordered Otunga to lie down and lose the titles.
At Survivor Series on November 21, Cena officiated another WWE Championship match between Barrett and Orton; per stipulation (Loser Leaves Town match), if Barrett did not win the championship, Cena would be "fired" from the WWE. Cena was fired (kayfabe) after Orton retained against Barrett. The next night on Raw, Cena gave a farewell speech before again costing Barrett the title by interfering in his rematch with Orton. A week later, Cena invaded Raw, first as a spectator, but then attacked members of the Nexus, explaining he would still take them down one by one despite not being employed. On the December 13 episode of Raw, Cena was rehired by Barrett in exchange that he would face him on December 19 at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs in a chairs match, which Cena won.
On the January 17, 2011, episode of Raw, Cena faced CM Punk, who had assumed leadership of the Nexus and renamed the stable as the New Nexus, in a match which ended in a no contest after Cena was attacked by the debuting Mason Ryan, who later joined the New Nexus. Cena competed in the Royal Rumble match on January 30, which saw Cena eliminate most of the members of the New Nexus, ending their feud. Cena was eliminated by WWE Champion the Miz, who was not part of the match. Cena won an Elimination Chamber match against CM Punk, John Morrison, King Sheamus, Randy Orton, and R-Truth at Elimination Chamber on February 20 to face the Miz at WrestleMania XXVII for the WWE Championship.
Feuds with the Rock and CM Punk (2011–2013)
On Raw after Elimination Chamber, Cena replied in rap form to comments made by the Rock the previous week, as he returned as the announced guest host of WrestleMania. That night, Cena and the Miz defeated Slater and Gabriel to become WWE Tag Team Champions, but their rematch clause was immediately invoked and they lost the titles after the Miz attacked Cena. After weeks of insults, Cena and the Rock finally met on the March 28 episode of Raw, where, after a verbal confrontation and brief attack by the Miz and Alex Riley, Cena attacked the Rock with the Attitude Adjustment. At WrestleMania on April 3, Cena and the Miz fought to a double countout, but the Rock restarted the match and performed a Rock Bottom on Cena, allowing the Miz to retain the title. 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 of WrestleMania XXVIII, marking the first WrestleMania match set up one year in advance.
At Extreme Rules on May 1, Cena defeated the Miz and Morrison in a triple threat steel cage match to become WWE Champion. Cena retained the title against the Miz on May 22 at Over the Limit in an "I Quit" match, and R-Truth on June 19 at Capitol Punishment. After CM Punk announced he was leaving the company due to his contract expiring after Money in the Bank on July 17, he defeated Cena for the WWE Championship, leaving with the title. Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter awarded the match five stars, Cena's first five star match. On July 25, after Rey Mysterio won the title in a tournament, Cena challenged and defeated him for the title later that night, only to be interrupted by Punk, who also claimed to be champion. Cena lost to Punk at SummerSlam on August 14 in a championship unification match. At Night of Champions on September 18, Cena defeated Alberto Del Rio for his tenth WWE Championship, but lost it back to Del Rio at Hell in a Cell on October 2 in a triple threat Hell in a Cell match also involving Punk. Cena lost his rematch to Del Rio at Vengeance on October 23 in a Last Man Standing match due to interference by the Awesome Truth (the Miz and R-Truth). After weeks of them attacking Cena and employees, Cena was allowed to choose his partner to face them on November 20 at Survivor Series. He chose the Rock as his partner, and they defeated Miz and Truth; after the match, the Rock gave Cena a Rock Bottom.
Cena briefly feuded with Kane, who he fought to a double countout at Royal Rumble on January 29, 2012, and defeated in an Ambulance match on February 19 at Elimination Chamber. On March 19, Cena was involved in a three-car accident in Philadelphia, but suffered no severe injuries. At WrestleMania XXVIII on April 1, Cena lost to the Rock in the main event after attempting to hit the People's Elbow on the Rock, who countered with a Rock Bottom for the pinfall.
The following night on Raw SuperShow, Cena invited the Rock to the ring to congratulate him on his victory, however, his call was answered instead by the returning Brock Lesnar, who attacked Cena with an F-5. Raw and SmackDown General Manager John Laurinaitis revealed that he signed Lesnar to bring "legitimacy" to the WWE and for him to become its "new face". At Extreme Rules on April 29, Cena defeated Lesnar in an Extreme Rules match. At Over the Limit on May 20, Big Show helped Laurinaitis defeat Cena, but he was fired at No Way Out on June 17 after Cena defeated Big Show in a steel cage match with both their jobs on the line. Cena won the WWE Championship Money in the Bank ladder match at Money in the Bank on July 15, earning a contract for a shot at the WWE Championship anytime within a year. At Raw 1000 on July 23, Cena cashed in his contract on Punk and won by disqualification after Big Show interfered, becoming the first person to cash in a Money in the Bank contract and not win a title. Cena failed to win the title from Punk in a triple threat match involving Big Show at SummerSlam on August 19, and fought him to a draw at Night of Champions on September 16. After being sidelined with a legitimate arm injury, Cena was pinned by Punk in a triple threat match involving Ryback at Survivor Series on November 18. He then feuded with Dolph Ziggler over an alleged relationship with AJ Lee and lost to Ziggler in a ladder match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 16 for his World Heavyweight Championship Money in the Bank contract, after AJ turned on Cena. Cena defeated Ziggler on the January 7 and 14 episodes of Raw despite interferences from AJ and Big E Langston, ending the feud.
On January 27, 2013, Cena won his second Royal Rumble match, announcing that he would pursue the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29. At Elimination Chamber on February 17, Cena, Ryback and Sheamus lost to the Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins). On the February 25 episode of Raw, Cena defeated Punk to retain his number one contendership to the WWE Championship. At WrestleMania on April 7, Cena defeated the Rock in their rematch to win his eleventh WWE Championship. Cena then began a rivalry with Ryback and suffered a legitimate achilles tendon injury, but retained the title in a Last Man Standing match (which ended in a no contest) at Extreme Rules on May 19, and then won a Three Stages of Hell match on June 16 at Payback. He defeated Mark Henry via submission to retain the title on July 14 at Money in the Bank. At SummerSlam on August 18, Cena lost the WWE Championship to Daniel Bryan with Triple H as the special guest referee, ending his reign at 133 days. The following night on Raw, Cena announced he would undergo surgery for a triceps tear and would be out for four to six months.
World championship pursuits and reigns (2013–2015)
Cena returned at Hell in a Cell on October 27, defeating Del Rio to win his third World Heavyweight Championship. He retained the title against Del Rio on November 24 at Survivor Series. Cena next challenged then-WWE Champion Randy Orton to unify their respective championships, leading to a Tables, Ladders and Chairs title unification match at TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 15, which Cena lost. Cena failed to win the now-unified WWE World Heavyweight Championship from Orton at Royal Rumble on January 26, 2014, and in the Elimination Chamber match at the titular event on February 23 after being distracted by the Wyatt Family.
Following the event, Bray Wyatt accepted Cena's challenge for a match at WrestleMania XXX on April 6 to prove that Cena's heroic act was a façade characteristic of "this era of lies" and turn Cena into a "monster". At WrestleMania, Cena defeated Wyatt despite interference from Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. The feud continued based on the story that Wyatt was capturing Cena's fanbase, exemplified by Wyatt leading a children's choir to the ring on the April 28 episode of Raw, where they later donned sheep masks. At Extreme Rules on May 4, Wyatt defeated Cena in a steel cage match after repeated interference from the rest of the Wyatt Family members and a demonic child. At Payback on June 1, Cena defeated Wyatt in a Last Man Standing match after burying him under multiple equipment cases, ending their feud.
At Money in the Bank on June 29, Cena won the ladder match for the vacant WWE World Heavyweight Championship. He retained the title at Battleground on July 20 in a fatal four-way match against Orton, Kane and Reigns. At SummerSlam on August 17, Cena lost the title to Lesnar in a squash match after sixteen suplexes and two F-5s, ending his reign at 49 days. In their rematch at Night of Champions on September 21, he failed to regain the title after Rollins attacked him, causing a disqualification. At Hell in a Cell on October 26, Cena defeated Orton in a Hell in a Cell match to become the number one contender for the championship.
The next night on Raw, Cena rejected the Authority's offer to join forces, resulting in a 5-on-5 Survivor Series elimination tag match between Team Cena (Cena, Ziggler, Rowan, Big Show, and Ryback) and Team Authority (Rollins, Kane, Harper, Henry, and Rusev) at Survivor Series on November 23. Big Show turned on Cena, causing his elimination, but Ziggler won the match for Team Cena with the interfering Sting's help. Per the stipulation, The Authority were stripped from power and only Cena could bring them back. At TLC: Tables, Ladders & Chairs on December 14, Cena defeated Rollins in a tables match to retain his number one contendership to the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and face Lesnar for the title at Royal Rumble. On the December 29 episode of Raw, Rollins and Big Show held guest host Edge hostage, forcing Cena to reinstate The Authority, who added Rollins to his title match and "fired" Ziggler, Ryback and Rowan for joining Team Cena. He won their jobs back by defeating Rollins, Big Show and Kane in a handicap match. At Royal Rumble on January 25, 2015, Cena was unsuccessful in capturing the title.
United States Champion (2015–2016)
Cena then began feuding with United States Champion Rusev and failed to win the title at Fastlane on February 22, when he passed out from Rusev's submission, the Accolade, after Rusev hit Cena with a low blow following a distraction by his manager Lana. Cena challenged Rusev to a rematch, which was declined, and Stephanie McMahon decreed that Cena would not compete at WrestleMania 31 unless Rusev agreed to a rematch. On the March 9 episode of Raw, Cena attacked Rusev, refusing to release the STF submission hold, causing Lana to grant Cena the match. Cena defeated Rusev at WrestleMania on March 29 to win his fourth United States Championship, marking Rusev's first pinfall loss in the main roster. He issued weekly open challenges for the title, culminating in successful defenses against the likes of Dean Ambrose, Stardust, Bad News Barrett, Kane, Sami Zayn, Neville, Zack Ryder, and Cesaro. He retained his title against Rusev in a Russian Chain match on April 26 at Extreme Rules, and an "I Quit" match on May 17 at Payback, ending their feud. The following night on Raw, Cena was attacked by then-NXT Champion Kevin Owens, setting up a Champion vs. Champion match at Elimination Chamber on May 31, which Owens won. Cena defeated Owens at Money in the Bank on June 14 and at Battleground on July 19 to retain the United States Championship and end their feud.
Cena resumed his feud with then-WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins, with Rollins refusing Cena's challenges for the title. On the July 27 episode of Raw, the Authority forced him to defend the title against Rollins, successfully doing so despite suffering a legitimate broken nose. At SummerSlam on August 23, Cena lost to Rollins in a "Winner Takes All" match for both the WWE World Heavyweight Championship and the United States Championship after guest host Jon Stewart attacked him with a steel chair, ending his reign at 147 days. He won his fifth United States Championship from Rollins on September 20 at Night of Champions (a record in the WWE ownership era of the title), defeating him to retain the title the next night on Raw and in a steel cage match on October 3 at WWE Live from Madison Square Garden. Cena also resumed his open challenges for the title, which he lost to the returning Alberto Del Rio at Hell in a Cell on October 25. He underwent shoulder surgery on January 7, sidelining him for an undisclosed length of time.
Feud with AJ Styles (2016–2017)
Cena returned at WrestleMania 32 on April 3, 2016, helping the Rock fend off the Wyatt Family. Cena made his full return on the Memorial Day edition of Raw on May 30, four months earlier than had been expected for his type of injury. He was confronted by AJ Styles, who betrayed Cena when he joined his former The Club teammates Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in attacking him. On June 19, at Money in the Bank, Cena lost to Styles after interference from Gallows and Anderson. At Battleground on July 24, Cena, Enzo Amore and Big Cass defeated the Club in a six-man tag team match after Cena pinned Styles. During the 2016 WWE draft on July 19, Cena was drafted to the SmackDown brand. At SummerSlam on August 21, Cena again lost to Styles. With Styles later winning the renamed WWE World Championship, Cena challenged him and Dean Ambrose in a triple threat match for the title on October 9 at No Mercy, but lost after being pinned by Styles, which came after Ambrose and Cena simultaneously made Styles submit, therefore restarting the match. Cena took a sabbatical from WWE to film American Grit season 2.
On January 29, 2017, Cena defeated Styles at Royal Rumble to win the WWE Championship and tie Ric Flair for the most recognized world title reigns at 16. He lost the title in an Elimination Chamber match at the titular event on February 12 to Bray Wyatt, and failed to regain it two nights later on SmackDown Live in a triple threat match also featuring Styles. Cena then began a feud with the Miz, with the Miz accusing Cena of being a hypocrite because of his movie commitments, while Cena accused the Miz of stealing other wrestlers' moves and personalities. the Miz's wife Maryse then slapped Cena before Cena and his then-girlfriend Nikki Bella sent the Miz and Maryse retreating. Cena and Bella defeated them in a mixed tag team match at WrestleMania 33 on April 2, after which Cena proposed marriage to Bella, which she accepted.
Part-time performer (2017–2024)
In July 2017, WWE dubbed Cena a "free agent" during the Superstar Shake-up, meaning he could work for both the Raw and SmackDown WWE brands. Cena defeated Rusev in a flag match at Battleground on July 23, Baron Corbin at SummerSlam on August 20, and lost to Roman Reigns on September 24 at No Mercy. Cena returned to SmackDown the next month after Commissioner Shane McMahon named him as the final member of Team SmackDown for the men's 5-on-5 elimination match against Team Raw at Survivor Series on November 19; Cena was eliminated by Kurt Angle and Team SmackDown was defeated.
Cena failed to win the Royal Rumble on January 28, 2018, an Elimination Chamber match to determine the number one contender for the WWE Universal Championship on February 25 at the titular event, and a six-pack challenge for the WWE Championship on March 11 at Fastlane. On April 8 at WrestleMania 34, Cena was quickly defeated by the Undertaker. He defeated Triple H on April 27 at the Greatest Royal Rumble, and teamed with Bobby Lashley to defeat Elias and Owens at Super Show-Down on October 6. He was scheduled for a match at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia on November 2, but refused to work the event following the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi.
Cena returned to WWE television on the January 1, 2019 episode of SmackDown, where he and Becky Lynch defeated Andrade Cien Almas and Zelina Vega in a mixed tag team match. On the January 14 episode of Raw, Cena lost to Finn Bálor in a fatal four-way match also involving Drew McIntyre and Corbin to determine the number one contender for the Universal Championship at Royal Rumble. Cena was scheduled to compete in the Royal Rumble on January 27, but was taken out due to an in-storyline ankle injury supposedly suffered during the match. He appeared at WrestleMania 35 on April 7 in his "Doctor of Thuganomics" persona and interrupted Elias' concert, performing his finisher on Elias (calling it by its original name of the F-U) after insulting him. On the July 22 episode of Raw titled Raw Reunion, he engaged in a rap battle with the Usos.
Cena returned to WWE again on the February 28, 2020 episode of SmackDown, seemingly announcing his retirement before he was confronted by "the Fiend" Bray Wyatt, who challenged him to a match at WrestleMania 36, which Cena accepted. On Night 2 of WrestleMania on April 5, rather than a traditional wrestling match, the two fought in a surreal cinematic-style match called a Firefly Fun House match, showcasing moments from Cena's and Wyatt's history. Wyatt ultimately defeated Cena, after which his motionless body vanished from the middle of the ring. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Cena was unable to appear at WrestleMania 37, marking the first time he missed a WrestleMania in nearly 20 years, as he had wrestled or appeared at the event every year since his first appearance in 2003. At the time, Cena was in Canada filming the HBO Max series Peacemaker and could not travel to Tampa, Florida, for WrestleMania 37 without facing a two-week quarantine, which would have shut down production on the series. He made his return to WWE programming at Money in the Bank on July 18, 2021, confronting Roman Reigns after the latter retained his Universal Championship against Edge in the main event. After initially being scheduled to face Finn Bálor for the title, Cena hijacked a contract signing on the July 30 episode of SmackDown so he could challenge Reigns at SummerSlam on August 21, where Cena failed to win the title.
Cena returned on the June 27, 2022 episode of Raw, which marked the 20th anniversary of his main roster in-ring debut. He cut a promo recalling all his memories and thanking the fans for their support, also making appearances backstage with The Street Profits, Ezekiel, Theory, Seth "Freakin" Rollins, and Omos. On the December 30 episode of SmackDown, in his first SmackDown match since January 2019, Cena and Kevin Owens defeated the Bloodline's Reigns and Sami Zayn. On the March 6, 2023 episode of Raw, Cena accepted Theory's challenge for a United States Championship match at WrestleMania 39. On Night 1 of WrestleMania on April 1, Cena lost to Theory. At Money in the Bank on July 1, Cena made a surprise appearance and was confronted by Grayson Waller after Cena stated that WrestleMania should come to the United Kingdom. Waller then attacked Cena, who retaliated by hitting the Attitude Adjustment on Waller. At Payback on September 2, Cena served as the host and special guest referee for the match between LA Knight and the Miz. On the September 15 episode of SmackDown, Cena was attacked on the Grayson Waller Effect by Jimmy Uso and his Bloodline partner Solo Sikoa, before AJ Styles saved Cena. They were set to sign a contract for a tag team match at Fastlane on October 7, but Styles was left unable to compete after a backstage assault from the Bloodline. Knight eventually signed a contract to join Cena in the match at Fastlane, which they won. Cena made his first appearance on WWE NXT on October 10, being in Carmelo Hayes' corner during Hayes' match against Bron Breakker. On the October 20 episode of SmackDown, Cena teased retirement before calling out anyone to face him, leading to Sikoa coming out and brawling with Cena, setting up a match between the two at Crown Jewel on November 4, which Cena lost after nine Samoan Spikes. On Night 2 of WrestleMania XL on April 7, 2024, Cena appeared during the main event between Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns to aide Rhodes and take out both Sikoa and Reigns with the Attitude Adjustment. Afterwards, the Rock appeared and performed a Rock Bottom on Cena. The next night on Raw, Cena competed in his first match on Raw since January 2019, where he teamed with Raw Tag Team Champions Awesome Truth (the Miz and R-Truth) to defeat the Judgment Day members Finn Bálor, JD McDonagh, and Dominik Mysterio.
Retirement tour (2024–2025)
Cena made a surprise appearance at Money in the Bank on July 6, 2024, to announce his retirement from in-ring action at the end of 2025. At the Raw premiere on Netflix on January 6, 2025, Cena announced that he would compete at Royal Rumble on February 1 in the eponymous match, where he was the last man eliminated by Jey Uso. Cena won the Elimination Chamber match at the namesake event on March 1 by last eliminating CM Punk, tying Triple H's record for the most Elimination Chamber victories at four and earning an Undisputed WWE Championship match against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41. Following the match, Cena viciously attacked Rhodes and aligned himself with The Rock and Travis Scott, turning heel for the first time since 2003. In subsequent appearances, Cena criticized the fans for their treatment of him over the years, vowing to "ruin" wrestling and retire as champion. In the main event of Night 2 of WrestleMania 41 on April 20, Cena defeated Rhodes with help from Travis Scott to win the Undisputed WWE Championship, becoming a record 17-time world champion.
On the Raw after WrestleMania 41, Cena was attacked by Randy Orton, setting up a title match at Backlash on May 10, where Cena defeated Orton to retain the title after a distraction from R-Truth. At the post-show press conference, Cena hit R-Truth with an Attitude Adjustment when the latter interrupted him, setting up a match between them at Saturday Night's Main Event XXXIX on May 24, which Cena won after a low blow. He later interfered in the main event between Jey Uso and Logan Paul for the World Heavyweight Championship, which Uso won with an assist from a returning Rhodes, setting up a tag team match between Cena and Paul against Rhodes and Uso at Money in the Bank on June 7, which Cena and Paul lost after interference from R-Truth. At Night of Champions on June 28, Cena defeated CM Punk to retain the title after interference from the Vision (Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, and Bronson Reed).
On the July 18 episode of SmackDown, Cena was attacked by Rhodes, who had won the 2025 King of the Ring tournament to earn a title rematch at SummerSlam, and forced to sign the contract for a Street Fight after Cena had tried to back out of the match. On the August 1 episode of SmackDown, Cena reverted to a face by apologizing to the fans after admitting that he had realized his mistakes over the past five months after the Rock and Travis Scott had abandoned him. In the main event of Night 2 of SummerSlam on August 3, Cena lost the title back to Rhodes in a match that received widespread acclaim and was his second match to be rated five stars by Dave Meltzer, ending his final world championship reign at 105 days. Following the match, Cena was attacked by a returning Brock Lesnar. On August 31 at Clash in Paris, Cena defeated Logan Paul. In Cena's final SmackDown appearance as an in-ring performer on September 5, he challenged Sami Zayn for the WWE United States Championship. The match ended in a no-contest after Lesnar appeared and attacked both men. At Wrestlepalooza on September 20, Cena lost to Lesnar. At Crown Jewel on October 11, Cena defeated AJ Styles in what was his 100th victory at a WWE pay-per-view and livestreaming event, putting himself second in all-time wins at such events only behind the Undertaker.
At Saturday Night's Main Event XLI on November 1, it was announced that Cena's final opponent would be decided in the Last Time Is Now Tournament, beginning on the November 10 episode of Raw in Boston, Massachusetts, near Cena's hometown. On that episode of Raw, Cena defeated Dominik Mysterio to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship for the first and only time in his career, becoming a Triple Crown and a Grand Slam Champion in the process. In his final appearance on Raw as an in-ring performer on November 17, he teamed with Rey Mysterio and Sheamus to defeat the Judgment Day (Mysterio, Finn Bálor, and JD McDonagh). In his final pay-per-view match at Survivor Series: WarGames on November 29, Cena lost the title back to Mysterio after interferences from the Judgment Day, ending his reign at 19 days. At Saturday Night's Main Event XLII on December 13, 2025, Cena wrestled his final match, losing to the Last Time is Now Tournament winner Gunther via submission, officially ending his 26-year long career.
Post-retirement roles and appearances (2025–present)
Four days before his retirement match, Cena revealed on December 9, 2025, that he would be signing a five-year contract extension that would allow him to remain in WWE as an ambassador. In 2026, Cena would make appearances on both nights of WrestleMania 42 as the host for the event and at Backlash to announce the John Cena Classic, a competition that showcases present stars against future stars.
Professional wrestling style and persona
In-ring style
Cena's original gimmick, known as the "Doctor of Thuganomics", portrayed a white rapper who wore jerseys, backwards hats, and a chain with a padlock around his neck. First as "the Prototype", and later under his real name, Cena sometimes used underhanded tactics to score victories, occasionally using his chain as a weapon behind the referee's back. He often rapped before his matches, insulting his opponents, events that happened in the media and the crowd. He also performed "rap battles", where he and his opponent took turns rapping on each other. In 2006, shortly after his debut film, The Marine, his wrestling character shifted from that of a rapper to a young military upstart, wearing dog tags and cargo shorts to the ring and also performing a salute to the crowd. Cena said in a 2011 interview with WWE.com that "every night when I do that salute, it's also a sign of respect to the men and women that don the uniform of the Armed Forces."