John Cena: WWE's Renaissance Man

After a few high-profile movie cameos, TV-hosting gigs, and a starring role in Amazon Studios’ forthcoming war thriller The Wall, WWE Superstar John Cena has become WWE’s (and now Hollywood’s) most reliable, versatile, and bankable performer since Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

He taunts opponents with his signature catchphrase, “You can’t see me”, the truth about John Cena is that you can catch a glimpse of the WWE Superstar just about anywhere these days. Cena has been a staple on WWE Network and one of its main attractions for the past 15 years — and for good reason. With his quick wit, golden tongue on the mic, and jaw-dropping displays of strength — hoisting a 205-kilogram man onto his back and slamming him into the mat is just another day at the office — Cena has morphed into a living legend in the ring as well as the guy fans love — and love to hate. At 40, Cena has expressed no signs of hanging up his boots and jorts. He has, however, been showcasing his talents outside the WWE. Last year he hosted the ESPYs, Saturday Night Live, and the Fox competition series American Grit, which has been given the green light for another season. These projects were built upon memorable cameos in the 2015 comedies Trainwreck, starring Amy Schumer, and Sisters, with Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. And you’ll see even more of Cena on the silver screen, as he’s about to board the publicity train to promote The Wall, a psychological thriller from Amazon Studios in which he plays a US soldier caught in a stand-off with a sniper in Iraq (release date to be determined). Men’s Fitness caught up with Cena while he hit the weights in his hometown of Tampa, Florida, USA, to talk training, hydration, and snipers.

MEN’S FITNESS: Before becoming a WWE Superstar you worked at Gold’s Gym in Venice, California, USA. What did you do?