John Cena’s WWE career is one of the most iconic and dreamt-of journeys for many WWE Superstars. Being the face of the company for 20 years, Cena has secured 16 world championships, headlined numerous WrestleMania events, and engaged in feuds with many top wrestlers in the industry.
However, his debut to the WWE was a quite failure and it did not impress anyone in the backstage, including the former Chairman of WWE, Vince McMahon. During an interview, Cena admitted that both Vince and Triple H decided to fire Cena from the company, during his early days with the promotion.
John Cena once discussed that Vince McMahon, Triple H wanted him gone
In a 2013 interview with Brian Soscia of The Soscia Network, Cena answered a question of a WWE fan, who asked about Cena’s early days in the WWE.
Cena said, “Never give up. Back in 2003, 2002, when I was just wearing boots and tights and I was supposed to be the ruthless aggression young good guy, nobody in the company liked me. I know Vince McMahon won’t admit this, but he wanted me fired, Triple H wanted me fired, everybody hated me.”
Cena revealed that his “Ruthless Aggression” gimmick did not go well, as no one backstage at WWE liked it. He also mentioned that WWE didn’t allow him to showcase his talents, and his ability to connect with the audience has ultimately made him one of the top stars in WWE today.
However, Cena’s rap persona, ‘Doctor Of Thuganomics’ gave him the edge and the attitude that he needed to stand out from the crowd. He started to feud with top stars like Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar, and The Undertaker and proved that he could hang with the best stars in the business.
After this, Cena won his first single title, the WWE United States Championship, at WrestleMania 20 in 2004, by defeating the former WWE Superstar, Big Show. His success in WWE paved the way for his Hollywood entry in 2006, in his first feature film, The Marine.
Vince McMahon wanted John Cena to go public about his Make-A-Wish visits
John Cena’s contribution to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, is one of the greatest gesture in his career. Cena holds the record for the most wishes granted by a single individual, with more than 650 wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses.
During an interview before the Crown Jewel pay-per-view in 2023, the Wiseman, Paul Heyman revealed that Vince McMahon was the one responsible for spreading his contribution to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Heyman said, “There had to come a point in time where Vince had to sit down with John and say, ‘You need to let me go public with these Make-A-Wish visits. You have to. But Vince McMahon convinced him by saying, “You know you’re hurting Make-A-Wish by not allowing me to do that because if people understood how much of your time you give to Make-a-Wish and to these kids, they’ll be inclined to contribute.”
Heyman revealed that Cena never wanted to publicize his charitable work, but McMahon had a conversation with Cena, that persuaded Cena to express his work to the public. Heyman also supported McMahon’s decision as it has raised awareness and funds for the organization, as well as inspired other celebrities and athletes to join the cause.
Cena considers his Make-A-Wish work as the most rewarding part of his career and still continues to fulfill the wishes of young WWE fans.
