John Cena Opened Up on Vince McMahon Owning His Government Name and Taking a Percentage of His Earnings: “I Owe That Guy a Lot”

The entire world counts John Cena as one of the greatest wrestlers to pick up a microphone. Not only did he lead WWE through one of the darkest patches, but he also revolutionized wrestling for a whole new generation.

And now that he is a certified movie star as well, appearing in the Suicide Squad and Fast & Furious series. It begs the question, what does Cena think of Vince McMahon earning a percentage of his movie deals? Well, Cena already knew the answer back in 2006 when his first movie, The Marine, was about to be released.

John Cena’s reply to Howard Stern

When asked about this question, Cena replied, “Howard, before this [Wrestling career] I was a kid in a small Massachusetts town, mowing lawns for a golf course. I don’t mind kicking a percentage of my earnings to the person [Vince McMahon] who gave me a chance and an opportunity… If anything, that’s a sign of respect and I owe that guy a lot.”

Not only does ‘The Champ’ feel like he owes McMahon, but he also feels like it’s a sign of respect. In the interview, it is also revealed that John Cena would have to change his own name if he wanted to keep all of his income. Cena also reveals that in the business world, this name and everything along with it, including the nicknames and the social media handles, is called intellectual property.

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Not only does Vince own the name but the signature move name, all the nicknames, any creative or gimmick or storyline created in WWE as well as the theme music of most of the wrestlers in WWE. Some exceptions that we have seen over the years include Ric Flair, Adam Cole, and Cody Rhodes, among others.

John Cena and Vince McMahon’s Friendship

Citing Vince McMahon as his sensei, John Cena shows his respect for the lifeblood of WWE in the interview. Their partnership started all the way back when Cena was working in FCW, a former NXT-kind of promotion where developmental talent was trained in front of live crowds.

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Apart from John Cena, Randy Orton, Batista, and Brock Lesnar were a part of FCW who became mega-stars after coming to the main brand. In multiple interviews, Cena has shown his eternal gratitude for his former boss. Tell us about your favorite John Cena humble moment from all the interviews he has done so far in the comments below.