50 facts about John Cena, professional wrestler, rapper and actor

John Cena and 50 things from his life and career.

1. John Felix Anthony Cena is an American professional wrestler, rapper and actor.

2. John Cena is the public face of WWE, and has served as its franchise player since 2005.

3. John Cena started his pro wrestling career in 1999 with Ultimate Pro Wrestling, where he held the UPW Heavyweight Championship.

4. John Cena signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later renamed to WWE) in 2001, debuting on the main roster in 2002.

5. As of July 2015, Cena has won 23 championships, with a record 12 reigns as WWE (World Heavyweight) Champion, three reigns as World Heavyweight Champion, four reigns as WWE United States Champion, and a four-time world tag team champion (two World Tag Team and two WWE Tag Team). He also is a 2012 Money in the Bank ladder match winner, a two-time Royal Rumble winner (2008, 2013), and a three-time Superstar of the Year Slammy Award winner (2009, 2010, 2012).

6. John Cena has the fourth-highest number of combined days as WWE World Heavyweight Champion, behind Bruno Sammartino, Bob Backlund, and Hulk Hogan.

7. John Cena has also headlined WWE's flagship event, WrestleMania, on five occasions (WrestleManias 22, 23, XXVII, XXVIII, and 29) over the course of his career.

8. John Cena starred in the feature films The Marine (2006), 12 Rounds (2009), and Legendary (2010).

9. John Cena has also made appearances on television shows including Manhunt, Deal or No Deal, MADtv, Saturday Night Live, Punk'd, Psych, and Parks and Recreation.

10. John Cena was also a contestant on Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, where he made it to the final round before being eliminated, placing third in the overall competition.

11. John Cena was born on April 23, 1977 in West Newbury, Massachusetts, the son of Carol (née Lupien) and John Cena, Sr.

12. John Cena is the second oldest of five brothers: Dan, Matt, Steve, and Sean.

13. John Cena has Albanian, Italian, French and English origin.

14. His maternal grandfather was baseball player Tony Lupien.

15. After graduating from Cushing Academy, Cena attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts.

16. In college he was a NCAA Division III All-American center on the college football team, wearing the number 54, which is still used on some of his WWE merchandise.

17. John Cena graduated from Springfield in 1998 with a degree in exercise physiology, after which he pursued a career in bodybuilding and worked as a driver for a limousine company.

18. John Cena started training to become a professional wrestler in 1999 at Ultimate Pro Wrestling's California-based "Ultimate University" operated by Rick Bassman.

19. Once he was placed into an in-ring role, Cena began using a semi-robotic character known as "The Prototype".

20. Some of this period of his career was documented in the Discovery Channel program Inside Pro Wrestling School.

21. While in UPW, Cena held the UPW Heavyweight title for just shy of a month in April 2000.

22. On October 10, 2000, while billed as The Prototype, Cena made his World Wrestling Federation debut on a WWF SmackDown taping in a dark match against Mikey Richardson, where he was defeated.

23. John Cena received another tryout on January 9, 2001 at a WWF SmackDown taping in Oakland, California, this time defeating Aaron Aguilera.

24. Through 2001, Cena would receive 4 tryouts more with the WWF as he wrestled multiple enhancement talent wrestlers in both WWF house shows and dark matches.

25. Through the early months of 2002, Cena constantly found himself on the losing side of the matches he wrestled in. Yet again wrestling in house shows and dark matches, losing to the likes of Shelton Benjamin and Tommy Dreamer, he had his televised debut against Kurt Angle on August 26 of that same year.

26. In 2001, Cena signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). He was assigned to its developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW).

27. John Cena made his WWE television debut on the June 27, 2002 episode of SmackDown! by answering an open challenge by Kurt Angle. After declaring that he possessed "ruthless aggression", Cena gave Angle a hard fight and only lost by a pinning combination.

28. Following the near-win, Cena became a fan favorite and started feuding with Chris Jericho, defeating Jericho at Vengeance.

29. Cena suffered a herniated disc in his neck, which required surgery. Cena underwent successful surgery to repair the injury.

30. Cena made his in-ring return at the pay-per-view event, Survivor Series, defeating Chris Jericho to win his first World Heavyweight Championship.

31. WWE Studios, a division of WWE which produces and finances motion pictures, produced Cena's first movie - The Marine, which was distributed theatrically by 20th Century Fox America beginning on October 13, 2006. In its first week, the film made approximately US$7 million at the United States box office.

32. Before his WWE début, Cena made an appearance on the Internet stream show Go Sick as Bruebaker, an angry, cursing wrestler in 2001.

33. During his WWE career, Cena has appeared on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live! three times.

34. In January 2007, Cena, Batista, and Ashley Massaro appeared representing WWE on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, giving the children of the family whose house was being renovated WWE merchandise and eight tickets to WrestleMania 23.

35. Two months later, Cena and Bobby Lashley appeared on the NBC game show Deal or No Deal as "moral support" to long time WWE fan and front row staple, Rick "Sign Guy" Achberger.

36. In 2001, between his training in Ultimate Pro Wrestling and Ohio Valley Wrestling, Cena was involved in the UPN produced reality show Manhunt.

37. For the extent of his WWE career, Cena's attire has attempted to reflect the most current fashions and stylings within the hip hop culture that his character represents. Cena started out wearing "throwback jerseys" until WWE produced specific Cena merchandise which he began wearing.

38. In addition to his wrestling career, Cena is a rapper and a hip hop musician.

39. Performed his fifth WWE theme song, "Basic Thugonomics," himself, and it was featured on the WWE soundtrack album WWE Originals. He also recorded a song,"Untouchables", for the company's next soundtrack album WWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6. He collaborated on the song H-U-S-T-L-E remix along with Murs, E-40, and Chingo Bling.

40. Cena's debut album, You Can't See Me, was recorded with his cousin Tha Trademarc.

41. Cena has granted over 400 wishes for Arizona children with life-threatening illnesses through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, making him the current record holder.

42. In 2009, Cena received the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award.

43. Before his professional wrestling career, Cena appeared in an advertisement for Gold's Gym.

44. As a wrestler he has endorsed the energy drink YJ Stinger, appearing in commercials beginning in October 2003, and Subway, for whom he filmed advertisements with their spokesperson Jared Fogle in November 2006 that began airing the next January.

45. John Cena writes left-handed.

46. John Cena is a fan of Japanese anime and has mentioned that his favorite anime movie is Fist of the North Star.

47. John Cena is also a fan of the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, Los Angeles Dodgers, New England Patriots, Boston Celtics and English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

48. John Cena collects muscle cars and has over 20, some of which are one-of-a-kind.

49. While promoting his 2009 film, 12 Rounds, Cena announced his engagement to his girlfriend Elizabeth Huberdeau.

50. They were married on July 11, 2009. On May 1, 2012, Cena filed for divorce, which was finalized on July 18.