Maybe no WWE Superstar can relate to the fans quite like SmackDown!'s John Cena.
After all, before Cena became a household name in sports-entertainment, before
he became an accomplished rapper and before he grabbed the leading role in a major motion picture, he was a WWE fan.
Cena came to live events, created home made signs and even collected WWE action
figures. All in hope of one day performing in the ring himself.
A former football star at Springfield College, Cena was addicted to training
and music growing up. After a successful bodybuilding career, he began his wrestling journey not long after he left college,
visiting a wrestling school with a friend on nothing more than a whim.
Months later, Cena was in Ultimate Pro Wrestling, refining his trade before
WWE came calling.
Now, his superior physique and impressive mic skills make him one of the top
young superstars on SmackDown!
But Cena can do more than look good and drop a smooth rhyme. He's also an accomplished
WWE competitor, despite making his debut less than three years ago.
Cena is a multi-time United States Champion. He began his first reign in amazing
fashion by defeating Big Show at WrestleMania XX.
In June of 2002, Cena had one of the more memorable debuts in SmackDown! history.
After Kurt Angle challenged anyone backstage to a match, Cena, a young wrestler looking for a big break, made his way to the
ring.
Angle would win that match, but Cena took him to the brink, impressing everyone
in attendance that night, including the entire SmackDown! roster. In his relatively short time with WWE, Cena has already
built up quite a resume.
By April of 2003, Cena was already in his first pay-per-view main event, battling
Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Backlash.
He defended his United States Championship in a thrilling best-of-five series
with Booker T in the fall of 2004. In the 2005 Royal Rumble, Cena was the last Superstar to be eliminated, as RAW's Batista
went on to emerge victorious.
Most recently, at No Way Out, Cena defeated Angle in the final of the No. 1
Contender's Tournament, landing Cena a spot opposite JBL for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 21.
Through all of his success, Cena has never forgotten his roots, which began
in the bleachers watching the likes of Hollywood Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart.
He refers to his fans as members of his "Chaingang." Together, he figures, they
can't lose. And so far, the combination of their support and his talent, have made John Cena one of the top Superstars around.