John Cena has revealed that he was on the verge of being released by WWE before discovering the character that ultimately changed the direction of his career.
John Cena entered professional wrestling in 1999, signed a developmental contract with WWE the following year, and was assigned to Ohio Valley Wrestling. However, his future with the company became uncertain early in his career, long before he became a 17-time World Champion and one of WWE’s biggest stars. Speaking on Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend, Cena recalled being directly informed that his name was among those being considered for release.
“No, it wasn’t, ‘Maybe this is over.’ It was like, ‘Hey, we’re doing December cuts, and your name’s on the list,’” Cena said.
Cena explained that WWE regularly made roster cuts around April and December during that period, while performers considered to be in danger were sometimes given advance warning.
“There would also be a list of people on the bubble,” he said. “So at least they would make you aware of, like, and I think that was to light a fire under you of, like, ‘Hey, three months. Show me something, kid.’”
John Cena’s Rapping Ability Helped Save His WWE Career
John Cena admitted that he was still struggling to establish his identity as a professional wrestler at the time. He entered WWE determined to listen and learn from those around him, but he believes that approach also meant he rarely spoke up or showed more of his personality.
“I had little understanding of how I could find myself,” Cena said. “But because I had nothing, I had nothing to lose.”
That changed during a WWE tour when Cena heard several wrestlers rapping at the back of the bus. Knowing his position within the company was under threat, Cena decided to join them and showcase an ability that WWE’s creative team had not previously seen.
“When I knew the ship was sinking and the guys were rapping in the back, I was like, ‘F*** this. I’m just going back there.’”
Cena said WWE’s head of creative happened to be sitting near the front of the bus and heard him rap.
“They were like, ‘Can you do that on TV?’” Cena recalled. “I said, ‘I sure can.’”
The discovery ultimately led to John Cena adopting his Doctor of Thuganomics persona, giving the character a breakthrough that established him on WWE television. Cena subsequently became one of the defining stars of his generation, eventually capturing 17 World Championships during his WWE career.
