John Cena

John Cena: 2025 Biography, Net Worth, Family, Income

John Felix Anthony Cena was born on April 23rd 1977 in Westbury, Massachusetts. In 1999 Cena graduated from Springfield College with dreams of pursuing a career as a bodybuilder, but his journey quickly took him into the crazy world of professional wrestling.

Cena’s journey into professional wrestling began in 2000, when he enrolled at Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW), a developmental territory based in California. Adopting the ring name “The Prototype,” Cena portrayed a cocky, semi-robotic character that highlighted his budding charisma. His performances caught the attention of WWE, leading to a developmental contract with the company in 2001.

Cena was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), WWE’s training ground, where he continued to hone his craft. At OVW, Cena competed alongside future legends such as Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Batista and Shelton Benjamin.

Cena made his WWE debut on June 27, 2002, during an episode of SmackDown, answering an open challenge from Kurt Angle. Declaring his intent to bring “Ruthless Aggression” to WWE, Cena impressed fans and management alike with his spirited performance. However, it wasn’t until he adopted the ‘Dr of Thuganomics’ persona that his career caught fire.

At WrestleMania XX in 2004, Cena won what would be the first of 21 singles championships as he captured the United States Title. A year later he defeated JBL to win his first World Championship. Over the next decade, Cena’s career reached unprecedented heights. He became the face of WWE, amassing 16 World Championship reigns—a record tied with the legendary Ric Flair. Cena headlined countless pay-per-views, including memorable rivalries with stars such as Edge, Randy Orton, Triple H, and CM Punk.

One of Cena’s most iconic feuds was with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The two faced off in back-to-back main events at WrestleMania 28 and 29, cementing their status as two of WWE’s greatest performers. Their rivalry captured mainstream attention, bridging the gap between wrestling and Hollywood.

As Cena’s success in WWE grew, so did his opportunities outside the ring. His acting career began with roles in WWE-produced films such as The Marine (2006) and 12 Rounds (2009). However, Cena’s Hollywood breakthrough came later, with standout performances in comedies like Trainwreck (2015), Blockers (2018), and Vacation Friends (2021).

Cena showcased his versatility by taking on action-packed roles in films like Bumblebee (2018) and joining the DC Extended Universe as Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad (2021). His portrayal of Peacemaker was so well-received that it led to a spinoff television series on HBO Max.

As Cena’s career in Hollywood took off his WWE appearances became less frequent. The 16-time World Champion’s last match of note came at SummerSlam in 2021 against Roman Reigns. Since then returned a few more times to face Austin Theory for the United States Championship at WrestleMania 39 and Solo Sikoa at Crown Jewel 2023.

In 2024, Cena announced his retirement from professional wrestling. At the Money in the Bank event on July 6, 2024, in Toronto he revealed plans for a farewell tour throughout 2025. The retirement tour is scheduled to commence in January 2025, coinciding with the debut episode of WWE Raw on Netflix, and will span the entire year.

After failing to win the Royal Rumble, Cena then entered and won the Elimination Chamber to earn his title shot against Cody Rhodes in final WrestleMania match. Following the match, Cena shocked the wrestling world when he sided with The Rock and turned heel attacking and bloodying Rhodes.

Net Worth

John Cena has an estimated net worth of an impressive $80 million. This makes him one of the richest wrestlers in the world.

Family

John Cena married Elizabeth Huberdeau in July 2009 but the couple divorced in 2012. Later that year Cena began dating fellow WWE Superstar Nikki Bella. The got engaged at WrestleMania 33 when Cena proposed in the ring. The relationship came to an end in April 2018.

The former World Champion married Shay Shariatzadeh in a private ceremony in October 2020. The couple had been dating since early 2019.

Income

John Cena has yearly salary of $6.5 million from WWE, which has decreased from his old $10 million per year deal as his number of appearances have fallen. This does not include income from his numerous film and television projects outside of WWE.

Record

According to Cagematch.net, since beginning his career in 1999 John Cena has competed in 2300 matches, with a record of 1807 wins, 437 defeats and 56 draws. That puts his career win percentage at 78.6%.

Figures are correct as of March 23rd 2025.

WWE Career

• WWE Champion – 13 times
• World Heavyweight Champion – 3 times
• United States Champion – 5 times
• WWE Tag Team Champion – 2 times
• World Tag Team Champion – 2 times
• Money in the Bank – 2012
• Royal Rumble – 2008, 2013

Charity

John Cena holds a place in the Guinness book of World Records for granting more wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation than anyone else on the planet. As of October 2022 he has granted over 650 wishes. Cena has also worked alongside Be A Star and Susan G. Komen for the Cure among others.