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Monday, September 5, 2016

#SLCC16: WWE superstar John Cena discusses his career at Salt Lake Comic Con


The following is a transcription of John Cena's Q&A panel at Salt Lake Comic Con 2016. After the transcription, I have included my personal thoughts about Mr. Cena, including a couple behind-the-scenes stories praising his character. Enjoy!

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Moderator Jay Whittaker: What’s up, everybody? How are you all doing? You already know this man ­– who’s this man right here?

Audience: JOHN CENA!

Whittaker: John, what’s going on, man? How are you doing? Take a seat.

John Cena: Thank you, guys. This is rather overwhelming. I’d like to thank Salt Lake Comic Con for having me here today. Of course, I’d like to thank you all for coming out to Salt Lake Comic Con, because without you, this is just an empty, big room, so thank you for the energy – all of this. It’s amazing. I don’t always get to do this sort of thing. I think what could be special about today and what’s special about this experience, especially for you people who are coming here today, is that you get some candid time with me. It is very rare that I can do candid situations like this. I will do my best to answer absolutely any question you may have. It’s an honor to be here. It’s even more of a privilege to be able to speak to you guys. I have 45 minutes and 15 seconds, and I would like you to get the most of your experience, so, without further ado, I don’t want to waste any of your time. If you have any questions, I’ll do my best to give you guys answers.

QUESTION: A fan asks what Cena’s favorite match is.

Cena: That’s a great question. I get asked that a lot, and my answer is always the same. My favorite match is always my next one.

Whittaker: Yes! Yes!


QUESTION: A fan asks, “What is your favorite meme of yourself?” (Audience laughs and cheers)

Cena: I guess the meme… it’s a picture of me, and it says, “No more John Cena memes, please.” I kid. I kid. I don’t quite understand the whole thing. I’m truly thankful and grateful that the internet has made me the butt of all these jokes, so… Thank you, internet, yet again!

QUESTION: A fan asks why Cena dropped his wristband at the end of his Summerslam 2016 match with AJ Styles.

Whittaker: Shots fired! Shots fired!

Cena: That’s a very good question. That has a…

Fan: A-J STY-LES! (Other fans begin to boo and chant for Cena)

Cena: That’s all right, that’s all right, that’s all right. Trust me, I’ve been called much worse than “AJ Styles.” (Audience laughs) That actually has a lot of significance, and was a very important piece of symbolism. Unfortunately, right now it’s just for me, and you’re going to have to wait to find out what it actually means.

QUESTION: A young fan asks how it feels to defeat another champion.

Cena: How does it feel to defeat another champion? Well, when you do that, you actually win a championship, so it’s really nice, unless it’s that weird red belt that they just debuted that not a lot of people like. (Audience laughs and claps) I kid! I kid! The red belt would be nice. But no, it always feels good to defeat another champion because that means you win the championship!

QUESTION: A fan asks Cena to try on his replica belt to show the fans that he is looking forward to being a 13-time world champion.

Cena: Well, that is a great request, but it comes with a bit of sacrilege because, if I were to try that on, I would say that I’m going to become a sixteen-time champion…

Whittaker: Yeah, see? Get your stats. Gotta know your stats. (Audience laughs)

Cena: …and that record is held in fairly high regard by people from the Nature Boy Ric Flair.

Audience: WOOO!

Cena: So, until that moment happens – if it actually happens – I’ll wait and save that significance for that moment.

QUESTION: A fan says Cena is one of her favorite memes and asks what his favorite meme is and why.

Cena: I saw a Dave Chappelle one, where he’s… there was this skit where he’s a junkie and he’s got, like, drugs all over his face… (Audience laughs) …and he’s looking up and the caption is, “Y’all got any dank memes?” (Audience laughs) That’s my favorite one.

QUESTION: A fan asks what Cena’s superpower of choice would be.

Cena: Well, I’ve mastered the power of invisibility, so… (Audience cheers) So there’s that. That’s a great question. I think I would want to find some sort of teleportation device so I could be more places at once and do more things. So, there’s a lot of good going on and I’m involved in a lot of good, but a lot of that time is taken up just trying to get from one place to the next, so if I could teleport, that would be awesome.


Whittaker: John, I’ve got a follow-up question for that: are we ever gonna – you clearly fit the part – are you gonna suit up with Marvel or DC? (Audience cheers) I mean… it needs to happen! (Audience cheers louder) Marvel, cut the check! DC, cut the check! Please!

Cena: So, we’ve got Hype Man over there… Apparently, although I would certainly love to be a part of an animate-franchise-brought-to-life, apparently those places can’t see me yet, so… We’ll see. We’ll see.

QUESTION: A fan asks how Cena feels about the current tag team championship on Smackdown.

Cena: The tag team championship tournament on Smackdown? I think it’s a wonderful opportunity. That one tournament kind of encompasses what we’re doing in the WWE right now; we’re doing the “New Era,” and I think it’s a fantastic thing. You see a lot of new tag teams – and a lot of veterans tag teams: Rhyno and Heath Slater; the Headbangers came back last week, after a 16-year hiatus… but it gives opportunity to a lot of new teams, and that’s what the New Era is about: opportunity for individuals to go out and show that they can be superstars, so I am all for the tag team championship on Smackdown.

QUESTION: A fan thanks Cena for inspiring him and his friends to get out and lift weights (Cena: “Appreciate it. Thanks, man!”) He goes on to ask Cena how he, as a person, differs from the “John Cena” character on TV every week.

Cena: Now, I mean… I woke up in this [outfit], I went to sleep in this, I took a shower in this, so it’s kind of me… The weird thing about me, and I think this is what’s developed such a reaction, whether positive or negative, whether you hear people cheer for John Cena or shout out “AJ Styles,” is because, over the years, I’ve been (a fan yells something out) on television… There is not an AJ Styles fan over there; that’s ok… Over the years that I’ve been on television… I’ve been on TV a lot, like, it’s been 15 years, every week – sometimes twice a week, sometimes pay-per-views on Sundays, so, unless your character is authentic, it’s not believable. When I started, I was able to use hip-hop as a vehicle to identify with all of you guys, but that was only a part of me – and a very small part of me - and a very true part of me, but a very small part. And nowadays, you kind of just get me and who I am, and I think that’s why people are driven in such a strong direction, whether they really like me or they really hate me, there’s not a person that’s been like, “Eh…” (Audience laughs) …because they get me, and I’m not afraid to be me. A lot of young superstars so badly want to showcase their technical ability, but they are afraid to be identifiable with the audience. I’ve had moments of success, of failure, of excitement, of humility, and I share them all with all of you guys, and I think that’s what makes the connection very special – it’s because, when it comes to me, yeah, I do have a bright-colored shirt, I change my hat up about every six months, but you get me, and it’s extremely close to who I am as a real person. (Audience cheers and one fan yells, “Thank you!”)

Whittaker: That was my favorite question so far.

Cena: Oh, thank you!

QUESTION: A fan asks Cena at what point in his life he chose this career.

Cena: The very first time someone said that it was a possibility. I remember graduating from college and not knowing what I was going to do with my life. I moved out to the west coast, just to spite my father, who said I wouldn’t make it more than two weeks in California before I had my tail between my legs, dragging back home to Massachusetts. And it’s weird because I don’t know if he was a genius or just (pardon my French) a dick, because when he said, “You won’t make it two weeks,” the first thing I did was said, “All right, man. Whatever. I’m out of here.” But he probably said that so I would go and stay and try to do the best I could to make something of myself, so while I was out there, literally doing nothing, just holding on to a dead-end job, a friend of mine said that we always used to talk about [WWF] RAW and [WCW] Nitro and he said, “Man, you always talk about this and you’re built for it – would you ever consider trying to be a wrestler?” And I didn’t know, back in the days, it wasn’t very publicized… “Back in my day…” it wasn’t very publicized how you could be a wrestler, and this was the first invite I had ever seen to something like that, so I said yes, and as soon as I saw a physical ring that I was allowed to step through to get my feet into, I knew right then that either I would make it a hobby – that I would work my whole life to support my hobby – or I would make it my career.


QUESTION: A fan asks what Cena’s most memorable match was.

Cena: Well, you know, when it comes down to being “most memorable,” I kind of leave it in the hands of people like you. I think a lot of people remember the few matches that I had with The Rock... (Audience cheers) …because those were on a really, really big platform. I know that some of the matches I had with C.M. Punk are quite memorable. (Audience cheers) There was a Summerslam match with Daniel Bryan that was extremely memorable. (More cheering) And, [heck,] I’d like to think the match I just had with AJ Styles was pretty decent. (Audience cheers again) I always look forward. The WWE moves so very fast, and its fan base demands new and it demands next. So I don’t really sit back and look at the matches I’ve done; I look more towards what I can do and what I’m going to do. So, if you ask me, the answer is the same: I look forward to what I’m going to do. But I think, judging by some of the responses, those were three or four matches that were pretty good for the time.


QUESTION: A fan tells Cena that his work with Make-a-Wish has been inspirational to her. She asks what his favorite Wish that he has granted was.

Cena: You know, being able to meet so many families and be a part of so many great moments. Just being at the finish line of the Wish. I think WWE is a perfect vehicle for Make-a-Wish because the Wish family gets the entire experience. A lot of times with Wishes, when you meet, let’s say, a pro athlete or an actor – and not to take anything away from them – but sometimes it’s in a setting where it’s not game day or where there isn’t a show. With us, they get to meet John Cena – and not the John Cena that’s in a suit and tie, like this John Cena, but the Monday Night Raw, the Smackdown Live John Cena, and they get to meet me at the event, and they get to be swamped with all the latest gear and sit as close to the ring as possible and enjoy the whole scope of everything and meet so many other people that it doesn’t just become a handshake and a conversation; it becomes an experience, and the whole experience is designed to provide an escape and provide hope. So, the favorite Wish and favorite part about a Wish is making it happen. Thank you to anyone out there that’s ever done anything with Make-a-Wish because the miles that are donated, the monies that are raised, the volunteer hours that are given… I am at the end of all of that and I see it and it’s lovely and it works awesome, so thank you.

QUESTION: A fan asks about Cena’s acting career and what it was like to act with LeBron James in “Trainwreck.”

Cena: You’ve… You’ve seen those movies, right? And you still call me an actor? (Audience laughs) (Whittaker laughs exaggeratedly) Well, thank you very much, sir. I appreciate that. I didn’t get to work a ton with LeBron because we were on different schedules, but I not only thought that “Trainwreck” was hysterical – it had a cast of extremely funny people being funny – I also think what was great about it was it gave a few people that you would never expect a chance to be funny: myself, LeBron… It was really cool to see the whole movie be a tremendous laugh the whole way through. [Director] Judd Apatow is a genius for a reason. He seems to find people that are ok with letting loose and just kind of going for it and will do anything for a laugh, so it was a pleasure to be a part of. I didn’t get to do much with LeBron, but I certainly had a lot of fun.

QUESTION: A fan asks Cena about speaking Mandarin Chinese and what he had to do to prepare for being the WWE’s ambassador to China.

Cena: I didn’t. I did nothing that I didn’t want to. I went to Shanghai in 2010 and saw the enormity of the city and the entertainment that WWE brings around the world, and China was the last place that we were not. And I began to ask questions of “Why?” And the first thing was that the culture does not relate to our product, and I figured that, maybe, if one of the superstars spoke the language that there would be a better connection, and we are about to head back there next week for our first live event on September 10 in Shanghai in Mercedes Benz Arena.


Whittaker: That’s awesome! (Audience applauds)

Cena: But I basically… whatever little time I had off, I studied Mandarin and I’ve been doing that for about three and a half years, now. Thank you to the WWE because they offer second-language programs free to all superstars, so I actually think that I’m the only one that takes advantage of it! (Audience laughs) And I learned to speak a second language free, so that’s pretty good.

Whittaker: What other languages are you interested in speaking?

Cena: (Responds in Chinese) Right now, I just speak Chinese.

QUESTION: A young fan asks if Cena would “ever verse Roman Reigns” again.

Cena: Would I ever verse Roman Reigns? I would love to, and this – what I’m about to say next – is probably going to get a little bit of mixed reaction in here. I would love to because I believe Roman Reigns is a pivotal piece of the future of the WWE. Would I ever verse him again? Heck yes, because if I get to verse him again, that’s because I did really good the first time.

QUESTION: A fan asks Cena which movie was his favorite to act in.

Cena: I dug “Trainwreck” a lot because they just kind of let me (whistles). (Audience laughs) Uh, maybe, looking back on it, might have shown a little too much of myself…  (Audience laughs) …but, uh… Can’t take that one back.

Whittaker: I think the ladies disagree. (Women cheer)

Cena: It was fun because the crew… (Fan shouts a dirty “Trainwreck” reference and audience laughs) (Cena takes a drink of water and audience laughs)

Whittaker: Just sip water when it gets awkward.

Cena: The crew was filled with funny people, and this was my first time doing something like that, and they could have been really stand-offish, but they were all so awesome, and the director was so awesome, and they were encouraging me to, like, “No, don’t worry about if you say something and it’s not funny. Just go with it.” And it made for some really cool, funny moments, and every day I stepped foot on that set, I just laughed myself silly, so when you can go to work and laugh all day, then clock out, it’s not really work, so it’s fun.


QUESTION: A fan asks Cena what his favorite wrestling move to do on people is. (Fans begin to shout names of moves)

Whittaker, nervously: You don’t need to demonstrate at all, because… (Fans begin cheering loudly) Hey! Hey! Hey!

Cena: No, it’s ok. It’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right.

Whittaker: I got Obamacare, ok? The coverage is… decent.

Cena: Well, believe it or not, of all the things that I do, I take the most pride in being invisible – and I’ll tell you why. Two reasons: because people have actually believed, now, that they can’t see me. (A fan yells something) It’s like that… person over there… And because it started out as a joke. My little brother dared me that I wouldn’t do it on television, and I said, “I’m your big brother, so not only am I going to do it on television, but you’re going to like it, too. So whenever I go like this (Cena demonstrates his signature taunt by waving his hand in front of his face), that’s probably my favorite thing to do.

QUESTION: A young fan asks, “How did you win the Big Show?”

Cena: Well, I believe, you know, in life, me winning the Big Show is me just being a better person than he is. (Audience laughs) I kid. I totally kid. I totally kid. How did I pick him up? I will tell you that I couldn’t have done that without the electricity of the WWE audience. Because, although he is big, he also carries a certain odor about him (Audience laughs), and when you get too close, man, it’s like adding an extra 150 pounds to human weight! But when everybody’s excited and everybody makes a lot of noise, amazing things happen and, all kidding aside, Paul Wight, the Big Show, has been instrumental in my success because – this is a little bit deep down the rabbit hole, young man – but way back at Wrestlemania 20, a lot of people always think that I was, like, the “privileged one,” and, like, “Hey, he’s John Cena! He can do whatever he wants.” There was a large opposition towards me, who I was, what I stood for, and Paul Wight, in his very big and gentle-giant ways, stepped up and said, “No, this young man has something and I will prove it,” and had the guts to step out on there in the middle of Madison Square Garden at Wrestlemania 20 and give me a moment that I will never forget. So, there wouldn’t really be me without people like the Big Show, and I am forever indebted to him – as much as I make fun of him…


Whittaker: How much does he weigh? Seriously, how much does he weigh?

Cena: It depends on when you ask him. Right now, probably… (jokingly coughs) 500-plus…
Whittaker: I see your Instagrams – you squatting like 600-plus…

Cena: He’s the reason I have to do all of that!

QUESTION: A young fan asks what Cena’s favorite movie is.

Cena: What is my favorite movie? That’s a good question. You know what? I just saw the original “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” last night.

Whittaker: Rest in peace.

Cena: And I forgot how good a movie that was. One of my favorite movies of all times – something you can’t see for at least another two and a half years – is “Blazing Saddles.”

Whittaker: Oh yeah. (Audience cheers)

Cena: Trust me, like 80 years from now, you’ll think it’s funny – because it’s always funny. And I think, in the realm of movies – and this may also stir up a lot of controversy – I like the entire package of “Star Wars.” (Audience cheers loudly) This is really going to jab some people, but I like One all the way through the end because the movie is the most fantastic setting of the story I try to tell every day – the struggle of good versus evil – so I think they did a wonderful job in “Star Wars” and I think that is a movie that I try to represents what I try to do on a daily basis.

QUESTION: A fan asks if Cena is a fan of any other forms of martial arts, other than wrestling.

Cena: That’s a great question, and… and not really – and I’ll tell you why – because I understand the discipline and the technique. I’m certainly appreciative, especially of the self-defense that martial arts provides to an individual, but WWE is about the entertainment. WWE is about giving you, the ticket-buyer, the most for your money. WWE is about creating an experience where you can walk into an arena and sit down – and I hopethat you only sit down for a second because the rest of the show you’re on your feet, either cheering or booing those you love or those you hate. It is a whimsical, imaginative society that we all kind of share and enjoy, and martial arts is very literal. It is very athletic. Although it does have mental and spiritual disciplines, it is showcased in the form of just pure exhibition, where we are more apt to be showmen and showpeople – and I think that is fantastic because I’m really just an imaginative kid, at heart.

QUESTION: A young fan asks what Cena’s favorite colored shirt is.

Cena: Well, you know…

Whittaker: I love her.

Cena: Favorite colored shirt, right now, it would probably be something olive with a pink French bulldog on the front. [Note: Because of the way he described it, this may have been referring to the shirt the young girl was wearing, although I cannot be certain.] It’s a very nice shirt. It reminds me of a very adorable French bulldog that is waiting for my lovely lady in Arizona called Winston. Second, of course, anything black with red, white and blue.


QUESTION: A fan asks, when AJ Styles presumably defeats Dean Ambrose for the current WWE championship, whether Cena would be the one to take the title from Styles.

Whittaker: Say yes. Say yes, please.

Cena: Here we are, trying to trumpet in a new era, and you want me to go back and vie myself for the championship yet again.

Whittaker: Say yes. Say yes.

Cena: Here’s a weird fact: I don’t think I’ve had a championship opportunity for a year and some-odd something! I don’t know. I don’t know. What I like about that question is the names you put aside from me in that conversation: Dean Ambrose as champion, AJ Styles as challenger – two guys who have worked their butts off to get to where they’re at and are relatively new names in the WWE – and, if we are to have a strong future as a company, we need the new superstars to step up and excel. And I, having been in there with both Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles, I will say that Dean Ambrose has his work cut out for him because AJ Styles is pretty […] good.

QUESTION: A fan jokes(?) that his mother is blind, so she actually cannot see John Cena. (Audience nervously laughs) (Whittaker: That’s solid. That’s solid.) (Cena takes another drink of water) The fan goes on to ask whether Cena ever thought about joining the military.

Cena: I did. I told a story about how I got into sports entertainment, and I was literally on the cusp of enlisting for the United States Marine Corps… (Audience cheers) I had taken an exam to be a California Highway Patrolman and failed miserably. So the cops didn’t want me and I figured the Marine Corps would take me, but, literally, the weekend that I was contemplating my decision was the first time that I stepped in the ring. So, now that I’ve garnered success in sports entertainment, because I’ve always had a passion for the military and what it stands for, I always do what I can and give back and give those men and women the respect that they deserve. (Audience cheers)


QUESTION: A fan asks who the most difficult person to wrestle is.

Cena: Without a doubt, Brock Lesnar. (Audience nervously laughs) Without a doubt. Every single second you stand in the ring with Brock Lesnar, you are, essentially, earning everything you are ever given. He is the most gifted, athletic individual I have ever been able to be associated with.

QUESTION: A fan asks, “What is your favorite part of being you?” (Cena and Whittaker laugh)

Cena: Man, that’s, like… deep. (Fans laugh and one fan chants, “NIK-KI BEL-LA!”) (Cena laughs and takes another drink) (Whittaker: We’ll get to that!) I have great perspective that anyone could be chosen for my position – that I am where I am out of hard work, but also out of a lot of luck and a lot of opportunity, and I have great appreciation for that. What’s the best part about being me? …is that I am lucky enough to do what I love for work and call it “work.” I love… Like, I… this is going to sound weird, but I love life because I’m sitting here, talking to you guys about life – about really deep, personal issues – and about what we’re doing in WWE and movies and all of that stuff, and it’s fun. And then, when I’m at a WWE event, I get to race down that ramp and be a superhero, and that’s fun. And then, when I get to go on screen, I get to tell R-rated jokes, and that’s fun. So, the best part about me is to be able to appreciate the fact that I can do what I love and actually call it “work.”


QUESTION: A fan asks Cena how he likes to be in the ring.

Cena: How do I like to be in the ring? It’s where I feel most comfortable. It’s where I feel the most at home. I’ve had a lot of circumstances happen in that ring that not a lot of other superstars have, and I still always keep a smile on my face because it is truly where I belong and it is where I feel the most at home.

QUESTION: A fan in an inflatable muscle suit steps to the microphone. (Cena: I see you’ve been working out.) The fan asks what encourages Cena to do so much charity work, giving back to his fans.

Cena: It’s not an obligation. It’s not like I feel I have to. I do it because I want to, and I think, once you reach a level of success in any field, you feel like you want to try to give back. I’ve found a wonderful home in Make-a-Wish, where we can make some amazing things happen and, if you talk to a different celebrity or somebody who’s had success in their life, they may give you a different charity and say, “No, this charity is fantastic!” I just love what we do for Make-a-Wish, I love what I’m able to do for the Armed Forces, and I don’t do it because I feel obligated; I do it because I want to, so it’s easy to make the time.

QUESTION: A fan says that Cena’s rap album came on Pandora the other day. (Cena, nervously: Oh, boy.) (Fan: Bars! My boy got bars!) The fan asks whether fans can expect another album soon. (Audience cheers)

Cena: Every one of you who just cheered obviously did not listen to the first one. Those who were quiet probably bought the first one, and for that, I’m sorry. Hip-hop… I’m a huge fan of hip-hop. I really am. Hip-hop still pumps through my heart. But it is a music of the youth. It truly is. It is a rebellious form of art and it is music of the youth. And if I did it today, it would be… it would be real weird. It would be like me standing up here in wristbands and a ball cap and a t-shirt… That would be real weird. (Audience laughs) No, there probably won’t be another album.

QUESTION: A fan asks who some of Cena’s favorite rappers are.

Cena: So, if you’re under 35, this is going to sound like Charlie Brown’s teacher. (Cena mimics the cartoon teacher’s “Wah-wah” style of speaking) (Audience laughs) Brand Nubian; Nas; (Audience cheers, covering some of Cena’s talking) … Jay-Z is fantastic; Eminem is probably the one name you guys know; Black Moon; Black Sheep; Smif-N-Wessun; Snoop Dog, obviously; … Notorious; Big. The names can go on and on, but I was into hip-hop in the mid-80s and fell in love with it, and I was in a really small town where they just didn’t listen to that type of music. It hit stride for me in like ’95, so anything between, like, ’86 and ’95, I was completely attached to.

Whittaker: That’s what’s up.


QUESTION: A fan says he has watched all of Cena’s wrestling. (Cena: Where do you find the time?) The fan says he has also watched all of Cena’s other work, including his appearances on the “Fred” series. (Cena: I was living in a refrigerator.) Finally, the fan asks how Cena’s reaching out into kids’ TV programming affected his life.

Cena: I guess, the same way the opportunity to become a WWE superstar did. It’s just another opportunity to show people what you can do, and hopefully you do well enough that they want to see it again.

QUESTION: A fan asks whether Cena has any stories about working with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Cena: I do. I do. Would you like to hear one? (Audience cheers)  (Whittaker: Gossip!) Would you guys like to hear one? (Audience cheers even more loudly) Ok, this is actually… this is the first time I’ve told this story. (Clears throat) So, for two years, The Rock and I kind of made fun of each other. A lot. (Fans shout “Fruity Pebbles!”) Um, it got pretty heated and it got pretty personal. I said some things that were less-than-nice. He said some things that were less-than-nice. And I can assure you, in our line of work, there is a gray area where imagination becomes very real, and we were right in the sweet spot of that gray area, each watching each other’s every move and not too happy with the other party. We had a match in Miami at Wrestlemania, of which I finished second place – and I’m very proud of that… That’s a light way of saying, “I lost.” (Clears throat again) But we had a follow-up match at MetLife Stadium and I was good enough to finish first that day. And when I did, I’m well aware of the amount of work that Dwayne Johnson has on his plate, and the fact that he did not need to come back to the WWE, and I talked all that trash many years ago, just to try to get him to come back because I, like you guys, am a fan of The Rock. So, he comes back and stays for the better half of two years, only to lose in one of his final matches in WWE. And after the three-count of the match in New York, we had a moment where we had an embrace and I said something to him, and there’s been a few people to ask me what I said, and my answer is always, “Well, that’s between me and him.” I actually told him that he had taken a picture with me when I was an employee at Gold’s Gym back in the year 2000, when The Rock was, like, meteoric and he didn’t need to pay any attention to anyone but people who could possibly do things for him. And here’s this low-level employee at Gold’s Gym, wowed by the unbelievable personality that is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and I went up to him and said, “Rock, is it ok if we get a picture together?” And he gave me the picture and he gave me some advice on how to further my career, and didn’t have to do any of that. And now, being in the return seat, I understand, truly, how valuable his time was and how much that meant to me, as a person, and I held him close and I said, “You’re never going to remember this, but you took a picture of me in 2000. It helped me stand here today and, if it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t be here today.” And then I thanked him very much for all the work that he’s done for the industry and for all he’s done for me, and we went backstage and had a shot together in celebration. That is my “Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson” story.


Whittaker: That was an awesome story! (Audience cheers)


QUESTION: A young fan asks when Cena came up with the “You Can’t See Me” gimmick.

Cena: The gimmick… (Whittaker: It’s a gimmick?? Thanks, kid. A gimmick!) (Audience laughs) Like I said, my little brother dared me to, and the reason he did was because, when I started and I was, like, the “Ruthless Aggression” John Cena, which was way before you were born, I didn’t look any different than anyone else, and then someone from WWE overheard me rapping and said, “Would you like to do that on television?” And I said, “Yes.” But it’s not like they just threw me on RAW right away. Like, I wasn’t in the big matches. I was still, like, not even barely on television, and there was this show that was barely even watched called “Velocity,” which I was on every single week. And I didn’t take it as, like, “Aww, I gotta do this.” I took it as, like, “Man, I own that show!” – and I did! So, my brother was, like, “You won’t do that on television.” And I was, like, “Well, I own this show, anyway, so of course I’m going to do it!” And that’s kind of where it started, and now it’s become “a gimmick,” so I’m very happy. (Audience laughs)

QUESTION: A fan thanks Cena for making wrestling interesting, explaining that she and her cousin are on “opposite ends of the Cena Spectrum.” (Cena: Your house must be really interesting.) The fan goes on to ask where Cena’s trademark military dog tags came from.

Cena: I’m one of the very few people that doesn’t have a tattoo on his body… (Some applause from audience) No, you don’t have to clap about that. I think tattoos are great, I just… My mom would kill me, straight up. She would literally… and it would be weird. It wouldn’t be, like, a quick death. I would get stoned. It would be bad. Or grounded indefinitely. So, the dog tags have the names of my mom, my dad, my brothers and Nicole [Bella, John’s co-worker/girlfriend], and I wear them to all the high-profile matches because the “plus” of doing what I do is I get to travel the world and see a million great people and do some great stuff, but the drawback is I don’t ever see the people closest to me, so it is a way for me to let them know that they are always in my heart, no matter where in the world that I am.

QUESTION: A fan thanks Cena for coming to Salt Lake Comic Con. (Cena: I’m having a great time! Are you guys having a good time?) (Audience cheers loudly) (Whittaker: Yeah, there we go! All right!) The fan asks what the strangest thing is that has happened to Cena while overseas.

Whittaker: Oh, I wanna hear this!

Cena: That’s a good question. This didn’t exactly happen in Iraq or Afghanistan, but on the flight back, because we were in the military transport carriers, we had to stop at the air force base in Germany… and at the air force base in Germany, they have a wonderful officers’ pavilion. We made it a lot less wonderful… because when you get, I don’t know, when you get 40 tired, sometimes-cranky WWE superstars and you land them with, like, an eight-hour delay and there may or may not be an open bar, eh… you know? (Audience laughs) Stuff happens. We had a lot of fun in Germany. We have always had fun at those shows, but the trips there and back were especially fun and we were always very well taken care of, no matter how rowdy we ever got.

QUESTION: A fan dressed as a medical professional steps to the microphone. He comments that Cena is “a big guy.” (Cena: And you’re not a doctor, but you did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.) The fan asks whether Cena has ever gotten goosebumps out of intimidation as an opponent has walked to the ring. (Fans begin chanting for Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker)

Cena: To me, that moment’s all the time. It is. It is. You guys don’t see what I see. At the events, you literally can’t see me because I’m sitting in a random seat, just as one of the fans, peering through the curtain trying to get a feel for the live audience, or watching backstage on the smallest of televisions, as close as I can to the audience to try to hear their energy - and those moments happen to me all the time. When a superstar who doesn’t necessarily get a reaction maybe gets an ovation that I didn’t expect, it gives me goosebumps. When a match goes out there and the expectations are low and it exceeds expectations, that gives me goosebumps. When the expectations are high and it comes in way low, that gives me goosebumps. Every single time those trumpets that I have nightmares about sometimes hit and I get to go down to the ring and run and do what I do, that gives me goosebumps. There have been moments where the crowd response is louder for some than for others, but it doesn’t take away the energy. Honestly, I feel as if I’m doing what I was born to do because I truly feed off of the energy of the people and I’m always aware of what’s going on.


QUESTION: A fan asks about Cena’s experience seeing his infamous meme on the internet for the first time.

Cena: A quick impression of me seeing that for the first time: (Cena sits back in his chair, checks his phone, makes a surprised noise and shakes his head repeatedly while putting his phone away)

Whittaker: You liked it!

Cena: Thank you, internet, again.

QUESTION: A young fan asks what the hardest part about WWE is.

Cena: I don’t want to say it’s not tough, because I love it. I think the hardest part for anyone is to connect with you people. To get you people to develop an opinion on the action in the ring. I think there are some really gifted performers right now – one of them I’ll name is Cesaro… (Audience cheers) …who is a fantastic athlete but is still struggling to connect with the audience, and once a fantastic athlete can connect with the audience, then it becomes really, really fun. But the toughest part is making you believe in me, and that’s what I try to do the best I can every single day.


QUESTION: A young fan asks, “Can you see me?” (Audience laughs)

Cena: You can’t use me because I have poor eyesight, so I can’t see anybody.

QUESTION: Who is the best person you’ve ever RKO-ed? [Note: The RKO is a finishing move belonging to a different wrestler, Randy Orton.]

Cena: Uh, that’s a great question. People are like, “Ooh! She said RKO and that’s not his maneuver!” Wait! Watch me move the pieces right in for a checkmate: Randy Orton, because he’s the only person I’ve ever RKO-ed! (Audience cheers) So, yes, your question is very, very relevant! …and it was “out of nowhere,” by the way.


QUESTION: A nervous young fan bumbles through asking where Cena’s motto – “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect” – came from.

Cena: Well, believe it or not, that is directly borrowed from the United States Armed Forces. (Audience cheers) They operate with words such as “honor,” “code” and “country,” and I took “honor,” “code” and “country” and kind of switched it around to “hustle,” “loyalty” and “respect,” because, essentially, if you work hard, you stay loyal to the friends – people that are loyal to you – and you respect everyone, even if they are your enemy, then you will operate at a peak level and do nothing but good things. (Cena notices that his time is nearly up) The red light is here, but, like I said, I don’t do this a whole lot, so we’ll get a little bonus time. I’ll do a little bonus stuff.

Whittaker: We’ve got two more here.

QUESTION: A fan asks who Cena’s favorite tag team member has been.

Cena: Definitely Shawn Michaels because we won the tag team championships. (Whittaker: Yes! Yes!) And I thought that would never happen! So yes, definitely HBK.


QUESTION: A young fan asks how Cena learned to wrestle.

Cena: How I learned to wrestle? Well, it depends on who you ask. If you ask some people, they’ll say I still don’t know how to wrestle. (Audience laughs) …so there’s that… But, I had a bunch of really, really great coaches. I think one that really, really stands out – actually, a few – Jim Cornette was one, Arn Anderson was another, Pat Patterson is one of the last ones and, believe it or not, I learned a lot about wrestling from Vince McMahon, himself. (Audience cheers) Four good coaches! (Cena looks at the line of fans waiting to ask questions) We have one more? Fire away! We have two more!


QUESTION: A fan asks whether it’s allowed to be a Cena fan and a Rock fan. (Cena: Of course it is, man!) The fan asks whether Cena smells what The Rock is cooking.

Cena: I do! I do. (Audience laughs) What day is it today? Is today Thursday? (Fan: It’s Friday.) Friday? Because Thursday is Pancakes Day… Friday? I believe he’s cooking a poutine! It’s… very spicy! So today is Poutine Day for The Rock. That is what he’s cooking. It smells very “bayou.” We got one more? (Cena looks at the monitor, which indicates that his time is up.) Oh, I know time is up, guys. Don’t… You’re not the boss of me, digital world! I got real people here, talking about real stuff, like what The Rock is cooking!

Whittaker: Yeah! Yeah!

QUESTION: A young fan asks what Cena’s everyday car is.

Cena: Ah! Yikes, I guess that would be a bus. (Fan: Because I know you have a dope car collection.) Is “dope” still good? Is that still a good word? Or am I going to get arrested for narcotics? (Audience laughs) I don’t know. Anything fast. (Fan: Anything fast?) Anything fast. But I don’t drive fast. I always drive the speed limit. That’s a lie. I drive fast. (Audience laughs) That’s it. That’s a good last question, though.

Whittaker: Thank you, guys, so much for being here! Please make some noise!

Cena: They’re going to tear me off stage! Thank you, guys, so much! I greatly appreciate it! Thank you, Salt Lake Comic Con, for having me – and remember, this place does not exist without you! Thank you, guys, for being here!


Salt Lake Comic Con MC Chris Provost: Everybody, JOHN CENA!! (Audience cheers loudly)

***

As Cena wrapped up his panel, many young fans (and some parents) hurried to the front of the stage. Cena graciously approached them and shook a few hands before being ushered off the stage. I saw, to the right of the stage, one special-needs fan being rushed up to the front of the Ballroom by his father, who was frantically trying to flag Cena down before he left. Cena did not notice them, however, and was walking off the stage as a volunteer ran up and got his attention. Cena came back onto the stage and spoke to the young fan momentarily. At the end of their conversation, unseen by probably 99% of the people in the room - except for me and a photographer, apparently - he shook the boy's hand and gave him one of his wristbands before finally leaving the Ballroom. I thought that was a cool moment.

Later in the afternoon, I had a photo op with Cena, which I was looking forward to all weekend. As I got back to the photo op area, the volunteers were, obviously, doing their job and telling fans how to appropriately carry out their photos ("As soon as you see the flash, step up for you picture, and, please, no handshakes... No handshakes, please," they repeated several times.) Despite the volunteers' instructions, John Cena shook hands with every single fan that I saw while I was back there, including me. I thanked him for coming and he reiterated that it was a pleasure to be there. From my very brief interaction with him, he seemed like a genuinely nice man.

This practically pales in comparison to a story I heard told of him the next morning at the Salt Lake Comic Con staff meeting. A former Comic Con co-worker of mine was having a bad weekend; she lost her wallet, including all of the cash she had on hand, which was apparently over $300. She was understandably upset by the theft and was not in good spirits, from those who witnessed her reaction. The woman is a huge pro wrestling fan, apparently, and she credits Cena for helping her work through depression and some difficult times in her young adulthood. When she approached Cena for a photo op on Friday, she gave him a three-page letter that she wrote him, thanking him for his example. Reportedly, Cena told the photographers to hold off for a moment, and he embraced the woman and gave her a big confidence boost. They took the photo and that was that. Later on, the woman got a notification saying that Cena had followed her on Twitter (I verified this last night). He sent her a direct message, explaining that he read her letter and was grateful for her kind words, then giving her one more confidence boost online.

That's awesome. While I don't quite understand the level of commitment/obsession that some fans experience over certain celebrities, movies or TV shows that they claim have profoundly impacted or changed their lives, I think it is so cool of Cena to have reached out personally to this former co-worker of mine and encouraged her to keep her chin up, especially considering the difficult circumstances that she was experiencing after losing her wallet.

I know that a lot of people can't stand pro wrestling. They whine about it being fake (so is every other show on TV, by the way) and they think the wrestlers are phonies. Despite it being a gigantic, sweaty soap opera, I do understand the entertainment value. I watched as a kid - and even a little bit as an adult - and I'll (mostly) defend it under a broad variety of circumstances. I even blogged about it once.

I had heard a lot of good things about John Cena before his appearance at Salt Lake Comic Con last weekend - and all those stories and compliments were validated after seeing him up close and personal. Listening back to this panel as I transcribed it reminded me of how polite Cena was - especially when addressing kids. Good on you, John. Thanks for your example and for actually being a good role model for young people. (There aren't many of those anymore these days.)

I see you, John Cena. And I like what I see.

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