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41-year-old John Felix Anthony Cena Jr. is one of the most famous people on the planet. We know him from the notorious WWE competitions and probably also from the internet meme and vine videos that went viral in mid-2015 "Unexpected John Cena", also known as "It's John Cena". But there’s more to this brawny pro-wrestler than meets the eye. In fact, you might be pretty surprised to know what this 16-time WWE champion is up to when he’s not finishing his opponents in the ring.
1. He's tied the knot once and was about to do it again
John Cena’s first marriage was with his non-famous high school sweetheart. They were married in 2009 and their marriage lasted four years. After the break-up, Cena confessed that the only marriage that would survive was with his work and that he would never have time for kids.
But then last year, he got down on one knee again and proposed to fellow pro wrestler Nikki Bella after six years of dating, in front of a huge crowd at WrestleMania 33. The couple was supposed to tie the knot in a few weeks’ time but unfortunately, the couple announced their split a few days ago.
2. Cena is an actor and a darn good one at that
Just like famous pro-wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, John Cena’s a pretty damn good actor and hilarious too as we’ve seen in various movies like in Amy Schumer's comedy Trainwreck when he played the role of the overly sensitive lover. He was also in the closing scene of Daddy’s Home, and the sequel Daddy’s Home 2.
His recent roles have earned him the title of one of Hollywood’s funniest actors. However, the wrester’s first start at his acting career didn’t exactly go that well. His very first role was in the 2006 American action film The Marine, directed by John Bonito, which received some negative criticism for its bombastic scenes and unrealistic series of events.
3. John Cena released a rap album
On May 10, 2015, John Cena debuted his first rap album “You Can’t See Me” in collaboration with his cousin Tha Trademarc, a month after he won his first World Champion title. The album has 17 tracks, the first one being Cena’s theme song “The Time is Now”.
The album was met with very good reactions, reaching no.15 on the Billboard 200. He’s also performed and recorded a few songs for WWE including his fifth WWE theme song, "Basic Thuganomics", and "Untouchables".
4. He can play the piano
Nope, we’re not joking, the guy can also play the piano. To celebrate his then fiancé Nikki Bella’s 900,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel, The Bella Twins, John Cena played a version of "Where is My Mind" by The Pixies. Also, just a few weeks ago, Cena “graced the VICE office” in New York with his piano playing skills. He sat at the baby grand piano in the office lobby and treated his eager listeners with a solemn tune.
Check out his rendition of “Where is My Mind”:
5. He has a flair for poker
In an interview with Bluff Magazine, Cena confessed how playing various card games kept him and his fellow wrestlers from dying of boredom during travelling, as well as build rapport with new WWE contestants. However, John Cena’s love for card games goes beyond the need to fill idle hours. In fact, he expressed a wish to take part in the World Series of Poker:
“I love that the World Series is open to everyone who wants to play. I know it’s definitely possible for a lesser-skilled amateur to make it deep into a tournament, and that’s a treat. At the same time, I’d actually like to go to the tournament a couple of times as a spectator. Really get the aura and feel of the place before throwing my hat into the ring. To be honest with you, it looks like a lot of chaos, which may take some time to adjust to.”
This comes as no surprise since most people know that many professional sports athletes and celebrities enjoy playing poker and online casino games in general in their spare time. Some even take it more serious and take part in big competitions like Cristiano Ronaldo, who has not only participated in the WSOP but has also become the face of one of the most renowned casino sites, Pokerstars.
6. He can speak Mandarin Chinese
Just when you thought we were done listing things this guy can do, we’ve decided to throw in a little surprise! This man spent two full minutes addressing the audience in one of the most difficult languages, at a press conference, in order to help WWE’s expansion in the Chinese market. It was completely his choice to learn the language specifically for this purpose and was able to do so through free language courses offered by WWE to their wrestlers.
Needless to say, his knowledge of the language is elementary, people were flabbergasted to see him so cool and collected in such an intimidating situation, and not faltering once.
7. He is a great philanthropist
John Cena is not only a talented person, but he’s also a great human being. He is particularly known for getting involved in numerous philanthropic causes.
One of his most notable contributions made in the spirit of humanitarianism is the granting of children's wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an American non-profit organization that arranges experiences where children with serious medical conditions get to meet their hero celebrities.
In fact, the pro-wrestler has granted over 500 wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses making it the biggest number of granted wishes in the history of Make-A-Wish. He received the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award in 2009.
He has also participated in several awareness campaigns like anti-bullying and cancer. Cena started wearing a black T-Shirt with “Rise Above Hate” in 2011 written on it in support of the WWE “Be A Star” anti-bullying campaign, and the following year in October, Cena wore a pink and black T-Shirt with the words “Rise Above Cancer”, which he did in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
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