John Cena is one of the most marketable names in the world right now. His steady rise to fame since signing with WWE in 2001 is known to every fan. Cena has also made a name for himself in Hollywood through hard work and determination.
So, it is no wonder that fans line up at the theaters to witness his magic on screen every time they get a chance. As a result, it would be hard to imagine someone of his caliber struggling to make ends meet at the end of the month.
However, that was exactly his situation for a long time when his dreams kept shattering one by one to the point of his prestigious college degree failing him. At least, until he stumbled upon pro-wrestling and changed the course of his life forever.
John Cena’s relentlessly shattering dreams put him on the path to success
As stated above, there are hardly any wrestling fans in this world who do not know John Cena. His rise to fame in the world of entertainment wrestling began in the early 2000s, and he hasn’t had to look back since then.
Well, holding a record 16 times WWE world championship title is no joke, nor is being the poster boy of such a massive franchise for years. As a result, fans weren’t exactly surprised when his Hollywood success came in tow of his glorious entertainment wrestling career. Interestingly, though, things weren’t always that easy for the Peacemaker star.
He once appeared in an episode of Kevin Hart’s Hart to Heart podcast in 2023, where he shared a few facts about himself that many fans would have otherwise been unaware of. One would imagine that getting a valuable college degree from a prestigious college would work wonders for one’s career.
However, things turned out to be quite the opposite for John Cena as his Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology degree from Springfield College only led to a series of failed interviews.
Although those days are a thing of the past, their impact is still visible on the star as he noted in the interview that he couldn’t “get any sort of validation for that piece of paper [he] paid for”.
Knowledge is one thing. Life experience, wisdom is another. Maybe I rubbed the people the wrong way, maybe I didn’t know how to carry myself in interviews, maybe didn’t search the right places. This is 1999, so we’re not as well connected as we all are now. But, I failed to the point of like, man, I’m like living in my car.
Things only took a turn for the worse when another one of his attempts came crashing down around him when he failed the test for the California Highway Patrol.
I took the California Highway Patrol exam. Failed. So, I was gonna be a cop. Failed…Every avenue of fitness, failed. Closed door, closed door.
Things became so dire for Cena that he had to fill his stomach with a free pizza offer from a pizzeria beside a place where he used to bounce. If anything, this shows the depth of character the Barbie star has. Even in those bleak days, he continued to give his best until fate finally took a shine to him.
John Cena’s hustling days have already proved that he isn’t afraid of hard work, or doing whatever he can to get by when it felt like the world was against him. As such, his becoming the best in his league when he finally got a chance was not really surprising.
Fans applaud John Cena for holding on to hope and turning the tides
If anything, John Cena’s story teaches fans that no matter what life throws at you, you just have to give the best you can. If you keep your head down and put in the work in a situation when many would have given up, opportunities will find their way to you.
As they say, fate works in mysterious ways, but being consistent in hard times can turn the tides in one’s favor over time. Fans seem to agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. In fact, many took to X to commend his efforts in those dark days early on in his life.
This is why I resonate so much with him🥹🥹 He actually went through the grind💪🏽
— Tecco Reviews (@tega1x) March 15, 2025
Crazy how life works one failure led him straight to greatness.
— witty 𝕏 (@wittygrowth) March 15, 2025
Bro has come from a far, I like is hustle he’s self made built with in thanks to wwe pic.twitter.com/6dKgwQc3yK
— Miss Kawei (@misskawei) March 15, 2025
Proving that it’s never too late to succeed
— Hayley Davies (@xhayleydaviesx) March 16, 2025
JOHN CENA THE LEGEND AND WAY MAKER 🔥🔥🔥
— Harsh verma (@Harshv001) March 15, 2025
John Cena’s refusal to accept defeat shaped him into who he is today. Moreover, no matter how unfortunate, his series of failures also put him on his path to success.
The reason behind that is, if he had gotten a good job with his college degree, maybe the hunger for more would never have been born in his heart. Moreover, he would have no reason to look for opportunities in every corner, which landed him the deal with WWE, which changed his life forever.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
