“Was Getting Beat Up Every Day”: Troubled by Bullies, 12-Year-Old John Cena Turned to Bodybuilding and Never Feared Anyone Since, Interview 2006

There are many stories out there where bodybuilding helped people to overcome difficult times in their lives. Whether it is to shed the extra pounds or to stop fearing your bullies, bodybuilding has helped people in different ways. One such story is of the renowned wrestler and actor John Cena. Bullied in high school, a 12-year-old Cena found a way out of his misery through the gym.

During an interview in 2006, John Cena not only shared his gym routine but also revealed when and why he started working out. Cena revealed he started working out at the age of 12 and hasn’t stopped ever since.

John Cena talks about being bullied in junior high school

In 2006, ‘The Hustle loyalty & respect soldier’ a.k.a. John Cena made an appearance on The Howard Stern Show. Herein, he gave a detailed account of his relationship with the gym. Cena also spoke about why he is comfortable with the WWE founder owning his name. As soon as Cena took a seat, the two hosts showered him with compliments for his muscular physique.

Stern then asked Cena how he built those muscles. John Cena revealed that he started working out when he was just 12 years old. Stern then inquired if it was because he got beat up a lot. Confirming the speculation, John Cena replied, ” Exactly…It was a comic book story. I was getting beat up every day in junior high…I finally started working out…” This eventually helped him overcome his fears.

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When Stern added if he had learned some self-defense too, Cena denied it and said that bodybuilding was a pretty intimidating thing in itself. However, he did play football. Cena further revealed that it wasn’t easy for him to get big. It took a long time, but his commitment and consistency eventually paid off. While a lot of people go to the gym for a few months or a year, Cena had stuck with it for decades.

Vince McMahon owned The Prototype’s government name

Founder of WWE, Vince McMahon has full rights to John Cena’s name. This entails that McMahon gets a percentage of everything Cena earns using his own name. Addressing the topic, Stern asked if the arrangement ever bothers Cena. Without a hitch, John Cena answered that it does not.

Further explaining his point of view, Cena revealed that he owes his career to McMahon. Therefore, he does not mind giving a percentage of his earnings to the person who gave him an opportunity. Cena added that this is his way of showing respect to Vince McMahon.

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Despite being bullied as a child, John Cena grew up as a humble and loyal person. It was this quality that earned him the nickname ‘The Hustle loyalty & respect soldier.’