Working at Gold’s Gym, the Mecca of Bodybuilding, Changed John Cena’s Life Forever, Here’s How

John Cena saw a tremendous upward direction rise in his WWE career within four years of joining the company. He started wrestling on Ultimate Pro Wrestling promotion while making some appearances in WWE until getting signed by OVW. However, prior to that, Cena worked at the Gold’s Gym, which turned out to be a boon for his successful future.

Born in West Newbury, Massachusetts, John Cena spent his entire childhood in the county. However, he completed his degree in exercise physiology and body movement and moved to Los Angeles, California, not to become an actor but to use his fitness degree.

He started working at Gold’s Gym in Venice Beach, which he called “the mecca of bodybuilding” on Jimmy Kimmel Live in 2018. It is indeed the mecca as working at Gold’s Gym got Cena into professional wrestling. 

Once while working out in the gym, a gymgoer suggested ‘The Cenation Leader’ to try out for pro wrestling. Therefore, as ‘The Prototype’ a semi-robotic character, Cena started wrestling at Ultimate Pro Wrestling in Los Angeles.

Little did he know, WWE would come calling a few years later to wrestle some dark matches. Cena wrestled in UPW until 2001, after which he went to OVW, a WWE developmental at the time. He made his WWE debut in 2002 against Kurt Angle and quickly impressed everyone.

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WWE repackaged Cena as the Dr. of Thuganomics and he won the US title twice before going mainstream. At this point, WWE was ready to pull the plug on him as a main event star and he defeated JBL at WrestleMania 21 in 2005 to win his first WWE Title.

Since then there is looking back for Cena. He had some great feuds and matches, which include two memorable matches with The Rock too. Clearly, deciding to work at Gold’s Gym turned his life.

John Cena lived in his car for some time

While speaking with The US Sun, the WWE legend shared living in the car. This after his temporary accommodation at a friend’s place was done with. Cena ended up homeless after heading to LA in search of fame.

Cena said, “I slept in my car for a while, which happened to be a very roomy 1991 Lincoln Town Car. I had my clothes in the trunk and I slept in the back seat.”

Moreover,  he took advantage of the gym facilities between shifts. Cena adds, “I’d wake up, use the [gym] locker rooms and the shower and repeat the process all over again”

Because of his physique, Cena also worked as a bouncer at the bar for $50 per day pay. However, that wasn’t enough for him to survive the day. Hence, the former WWE Champion used to take pizza challenges to save his $50. Clearly, he never gave up, and truly followed his own WWE catchphrase “Never Give Up”.

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