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!
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.
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.
There's my year in review! What are some of the best things that happened to you in 2016? Feel free to comment, if you feel so inclined.
