John Cena is an American actor and professional wrestler signed to WWE since 2001. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, holding a record-tying 16 world championships as recognized by WWE alongside Ric Flair. His career has made him a mainstream celebrity, leading to roles in film and television.
April 23, 1977: John Cena's Birth
On April 23, 1977, John Felix Anthony Cena was born. He later became a professional wrestler and actor.
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1998: Move to California for Wrestling
In 1998, John Cena moved to California to begin training for a professional wrestling career.
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1998: Move to California
In 1998, John Cena moved to California to pursue a bodybuilding career before transitioning to professional wrestling.
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1999: Professional Wrestling Debut
In 1999, John Cena debuted as a professional wrestler for Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW), initiating his wrestling career.
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1999: Graduation from Springfield College
In 1999, John Cena graduated from Springfield College with a degree in exercise physiology and body movement.
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April 2000: UPW Heavyweight Championship
In April 2000, John Cena held the UPW Heavyweight Championship for 27 days, marking an early achievement in his wrestling career.
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October 10, 2000: Unofficial WWE Debut
On October 10, 2000, John Cena made his unofficial debut for WWE (then WWF) on a SmackDown! taping in a dark match against Mikey Henderson.
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January 9, 2001: WWE Tryout Match
On January 9, 2001, John Cena received another tryout at a SmackDown! taping, defeating Aaron Aguilera.
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March 2001: Departure from UPW
In March 2001, John Cena wrestled for the final time for Ultimate Pro Wrestling (UPW), before transitioning to WWE.
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2001: Go Sick Appearance
Before his WWE debut, in 2001, Cena appeared on the webcast Go Sick as Bruebaker, an angry, cursing wrestler.
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2001: Manhunt Appearance
In 2001, Cena portrayed Big Tim Kingman in the UPN reality show Manhunt.
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2001: Signing with WWE
In 2001, John Cena signed with World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), marking a pivotal moment in his professional wrestling career.
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June 2002: Main Roster Call-Up
In June 2002, John Cena received his call-up to the main WWE roster, marking a significant step in his career.
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2002: Granted his first Make-A-Wish
In 2002, John Cena granted his first wish for a child with a life-threatening illness through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
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2002: Main Roster Debut
In 2002, John Cena moved up to WWE's main roster on SmackDown, marking a significant advancement in his wrestling career.
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2002: Part of OVW Class of 2002
In 2002, John Cena was part of OVW's Class of 2002 alongside Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, and Dave Bautista, later known as the "OVW 4".
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October 2003: Endorsement of YJ Stinger energy drink
In October 2003, John Cena began endorsing the energy drink YJ Stinger, appearing in commercials.
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2003: First WrestleMania Appearance
In 2003, John Cena made his first appearance at WrestleMania XIX
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January 25, 2004: Royal Rumble Participation
On January 25, 2004, John Cena participated in the Royal Rumble match at Royal Rumble, but was eliminated by Big Show.
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January 30, 2005: Royal Rumble Match Participation
On January 30, 2005, John Cena participated in the Royal Rumble match, reaching the final two with Batista, although Batista ultimately won.
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August 8, 2005: Premiere of "Right Now" music video
On August 8, 2005, the music video for John Cena's second single, "Right Now," premiered on WWE Monday Night Raw.
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2005: Teen Choice Awards
In 2005, Cena served as a co-presenter, with Hulk Hogan, at the Teen Choice Awards.
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2005: Feud with Eric Bischoff
In 2005, John Cena began a feud with Raw General Manager Eric Bischoff after being drafted to Raw, marking a significant storyline in his career.
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2005: Release of 'You Can't See Me' Album
In 2005, John Cena released his only studio album, 'You Can't See Me', which reached number 15 on the Billboard 200.
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2005: First WWE Championship
In 2005, John Cena won his first WWE Championship, establishing himself as a top star in the company.
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2005: Origin of "You Can't See Me" catchphrase
In 2005, the catchphrase "You Can't See Me" originated when John Cena was dared by his little brother to do the yayo dance on TV, leading to the development of his signature move.
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2005: Renewed Feud with JBL
In 2008, During Backlash, Cena eliminated JBL, renewing their feud from 2005.
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August 2006: Punk'd Appearance
In August 2006, Cena was the victim of a practical joke on MTV's Punk'd.
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October 10, 2006: Opie and Anthony Walkover
On October 10, 2006, Cena appeared on the CBS and XM versions of Opie and Anthony as part of their "walkover".
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October 13, 2006: The Marine Theatrical Release
On October 13, 2006, Cena's first movie, The Marine, produced by WWE Studios, was distributed theatrically by 20th Century Fox America.
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November 2006: Filmed Subway advertisements with Jared Fogle
In November 2006, John Cena filmed advertisements for Subway with their spokesperson Jared Fogle.
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2006: Starring in 'The Marine'
In 2006, John Cena starred in his first film, 'The Marine', marking the beginning of his acting career.
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2006: Character Shift
In 2006, shortly after his debut film, The Marine, Cena's wrestling character shifted from a rapper to a young military upstart.
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January 7, 2007: WWE Championship Retention
On January 7, 2007, at New Year's Revolution, John Cena defeated Umaga to end his undefeated streak and retain the WWE Championship.
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January 2007: Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Appearance
In January 2007, Cena, Batista, and Ashley Massaro appeared on an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, representing WWE.
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May 2007: Punk'd Appearance
In May 2007, Cena was the victim of a practical joke on MTV's Punk'd.
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June 2007: Fast Cars and Superstars Appearance
In June 2007, Cena was featured on the ABC reality series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, placing third overall.
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2007: CNN Special Investigations Unit Interview
In 2007, Cena was interviewed for the CNN Special Investigations Unit documentary Death Grip: Inside Pro Wrestling, regarding steroid and drug use.
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2007: Endorsement of American Body Builders energy drinks and bars
In 2007, John Cena endorsed two "signature collections" of energy drinks and energy bars sold by American Body Builders.
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January 27, 2008: Royal Rumble Victory
On January 27, 2008, John Cena made a surprise return at the Royal Rumble, entering as the final participant and winning the match.
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February 25, 2008: 12 Rounds Film Start
Filming began for Cena's second film, 12 Rounds, on February 25, 2008, in New Orleans.
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April 9, 2008: Idol Gives Back Appearance
On April 9, 2008, Cena, along with Triple H and Chris Jericho, appeared on the Idol Gives Back fund-raising special.
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October 11, 2008: Australian Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards Hosting
On October 11, 2008, Cena co-hosted the Australian Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards with Natalie Bassingthwaighte in Melbourne.
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2008: Filmed Gillette "Young Guns" NASCAR commercial
In 2008, John Cena filmed a commercial as part of Gillette's "Young Guns" NASCAR campaign.
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2008: Finishing Move Name Change
In mid-2008, during WWE's change from TV-14 to TV-PG, Cena's finishing move, the "FU", was changed to the "Attitude Adjustment" and his finishing submission move, the "STFU", was renamed the "STF".
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January 25, 2009: Victory Against JBL at Royal Rumble
On January 25, 2009, John Cena defeated JBL at the Royal Rumble, continuing their rivalry.
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March 7, 2009: Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! Appearance
On March 7, 2009, Cena was a guest on NPR's quiz show Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! in a Not My Job sequence.
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March 2009: Saturday Night Live Appearance
In March 2009, Cena made an appearance on Saturday Night Live during the show's cold opening sequence.
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March 27, 2009: 12 Rounds Film Release
On March 27, 2009, Cena's second film, 12 Rounds, was released.
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July 11, 2009: Marriage to Elizabeth Huberdeau
On July 11, 2009, John Cena married Elizabeth Huberdeau.
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2009: Expanded relationship with Gillette with the "Be A Superstar" campaign
In 2009, John Cena expanded his relationship with Gillette by introducing a new online campaign called "Be A Superstar" featuring himself alongside fellow WWE wrestlers Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes.
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2009: Received the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award
In 2009, John Cena received the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award for his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
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2009: 2009 Superstar of the Year
In 2009, John Cena won the Superstar of the Year award after defeating CM Punk in the first round and Randy Orton in the finals of a tournament on Raw.
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January 31, 2010: Royal Rumble Match
On January 31, 2010, at the Royal Rumble, John Cena participated in the Royal Rumble match, reaching the final two before being eliminated by Edge.
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September 10, 2010: Legendary Limited Theater Release
On September 10, 2010, Cena co-starred in his third film, Legendary, which was played in selected theaters for a limited time.
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September 2010: Fred: The Movie Airs on Nickelodeon
In September 2010, Cena starred in the children's film Fred: The Movie, which aired on Nickelodeon.
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September 28, 2010: Legendary DVD Release
On September 28, 2010, Cena's film, Legendary, was released on DVD.
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January 17, 2011: Return to Raw
On January 17, 2011, John Cena returned to Raw and faced CM Punk in a match that ended in a no contest after an attack by Mason Ryan.
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2011: Promotion of "Be a Star" anti-bullying campaign
From late 2011 until WrestleMania XXVIII, John Cena wore a black "Rise Above Hate" T-shirt promoting WWE's "Be a Star" anti-bullying campaign.
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2011: WWE.com Interview
In a 2011 interview with WWE.com, Cena stated that his salute is a sign of respect to the members of the Armed Forces.
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January 29, 2012: Royal Rumble Match
On January 29, 2012, at the Royal Rumble, John Cena fought Kane to a double countout, continuing their feud.
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May 1, 2012: Filed for divorce from Elizabeth Huberdeau
On May 1, 2012, John Cena filed for divorce from Elizabeth Huberdeau.
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October 2012: Wore "Rise Above Cancer" apparel for Breast Cancer Awareness Month
In October 2012, John Cena wore pink and black apparel with the phrase "Rise Above Cancer" in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
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2012: WrestleMania XXVIII
In 2012, WrestleMania XXVIII, headlined by John Cena vs. The Rock, became the highest drawing event in WWE history with 1,217,000 buys, and the highest grossing live event in WWE history with $8.9 million.
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January 27, 2013: Royal Rumble Victory
On January 27, 2013, John Cena won his second Royal Rumble match, setting him up to challenge for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 29.
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2013: Appearance on Fruity Pebbles cereal box
In 2013, after Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson called John Cena "Fruity Pebbles," Cena appeared on the box of Fruity Pebbles cereal.
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January 26, 2014: WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
On January 26, 2014, at the Royal Rumble, John Cena faced Randy Orton for the unified WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but lost after The Wyatt Family caused a distraction.
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October 2014: Features on Wiz Khalifa singles for WWE 2K15
In October 2014, John Cena was featured on two songs with rapper Wiz Khalifa, "All Day" and "Breaks", for the soundtrack to the WWE 2K15 video game.
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August 21, 2015: Late Night with Seth Meyers Appearance
On August 21, 2015, Cena appeared on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
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2015: Comedy Film Appearances
In 2015, Cena made appearances in the comedy films Trainwreck, Sisters and a cameo in Daddy's Home.
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2015: Performance in 'Trainwreck'
In 2015, John Cena gained praise for his performance in the film 'Trainwreck', showcasing his acting abilities.
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2015: Subject of the "Unexpected John Cena" Internet meme
In mid-2015, John Cena became the subject of the Internet meme "Unexpected John Cena", also known as "Unexpected Cena" or "IT'S JOHN CENA".
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April 3, 2016: WrestleMania 32 Appearance
On April 3, 2016, John Cena returned at WrestleMania 32 to help The Rock fend off The Wyatt Family.
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April 14, 2016: American Grit Premiere
American Grit, hosted by Cena, premiered on Fox on April 14, 2016.
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April 2016: Recovery Abilities
In April 2016, ESPN reporter David Shoemaker commented on Cena's recovery abilities.
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July 13, 2016: ESPN ESPY Awards Hosting
On July 13, 2016, Cena hosted the ESPN ESPY Awards in Los Angeles.
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October 13, 2016: Debut as the voice of Ernie the Elephant for Wonderful Pistachios
On October 13, 2016, John Cena made his debut as the voice of Ernie the Elephant in a new commercial campaign launched by Wonderful Pistachios.
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November 2016: Appeared in "We Are America" public service announcement
In November 2016, John Cena appeared in a public service announcement, "We Are America", sponsored by the Ad Council as part of its "Love Has No Labels" campaign.
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December 10, 2016: Saturday Night Live Hosting
On December 10, 2016, Cena was the guest host of Saturday Night Live (SNL) on NBC.
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2016: Started learning Mandarin Chinese
In 2016, John Cena started learning Mandarin Chinese to help the WWE expand its reach.
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2016: Started learning the piano
In 2016, John Cena started learning to play the piano as a self-taught musician.
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January 24, 2017: Hosting the 2017 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
On January 24, 2017, Nickelodeon announced that John Cena would be hosting the 2017 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards ceremony.
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April 2, 2017: Engagement to Nikki Bella at WrestleMania 33
On April 2, 2017, John Cena proposed to Nikki Bella at WrestleMania 33, and they became engaged.
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July 2017: WWE Free Agent Status
In July 2017, John Cena was declared a "free agent" by WWE, allowing him to work for both the Raw and SmackDown brands.
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December 2017: Lawsuit from Ford over Ford GT sale
In December 2017, the Ford Motor Company sued John Cena for breach of contract after he sold his 2017 Ford GT shortly after receiving it, violating their agreement.
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2017: Film Roles
In 2017, Cena starred in the war drama The Wall and lent his voice for the animated films Surf's Up 2: WaveMania and Ferdinand. He also appeared in Daddy's Home 2.
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2017: Performance in 'Ferdinand'
In 2017, John Cena gained praise for his performance in the film 'Ferdinand', showcasing his acting abilities.
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January 11, 2018: Hosting the 2018 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
On January 11, 2018, it was announced that John Cena would be hosting the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards ceremony for the second consecutive year.
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January 28, 2018: Royal Rumble
On January 28, 2018, John Cena failed to win the Royal Rumble match.
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March 24, 2018: Hosting the 2018 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards
On March 24, 2018, John Cena hosted the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards ceremony, marking his second consecutive year hosting the event.
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April 2018: Ended relationship with Nikki Bella
In April 2018, John Cena and Nikki Bella ended their relationship, calling off their planned wedding.
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April 2018: Learned to play the piano
In April 2018, John Cena said that he had also learned to play the piano.
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June 19, 2018: Settlement with Ford over Ford GT sale
On June 19, 2018, Ford and John Cena settled the dispute over the sale of his 2017 Ford GT, with Cena agreeing to apologize and Ford donating the settlement amount to charity.
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July 2018: Premiere of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
In July 2018, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered, featuring John Cena as the voice of Baron Draxum.
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November 2018: Lived in Yinchuan, China to work on Hidden Strike
From July to November 2018, John Cena lived in Yinchuan, China, to work with Jackie Chan on the film Hidden Strike.
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2018: Leading Roles
In 2018, Cena starred in the comedy Blockers, and had a leading role in the Transformers spin-off prequel, Bumblebee.
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2018: Performances in 'Blockers' and 'Bumblebee'
In 2018, John Cena gained praise for his performances in the films 'Blockers' and 'Bumblebee', showcasing his acting abilities.
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2018: Singles Match Drought
In October 2023, John Cena teased retirement after mentioning he hadn't won a singles match since 2018.
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January 1, 2019: Mixed Tag Team Match Victory
On January 1, 2019, John Cena and Becky Lynch defeated Andrade Cien Almas and Zelina Vega in a mixed tag team match on SmackDown.
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January 2019: First Raw Match Since January 2019
The night after WrestleMania XL on Raw, in April 2024, John Cena competed in his first match on Raw since January 2019, teaming with The Awesome Truth to defeat Judgment Day members.
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February 14, 2019: Hosting Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader revival
On February 14, 2019, it was announced that John Cena would host a revival of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader on Nickelodeon.
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June 10, 2019: Premiere of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader revival
On June 10, 2019, the revival of Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader, hosted by John Cena, premiered on Nickelodeon.
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2019: Playing with Fire Star Role
In 2019, Cena starred in Playing with Fire, playing the role of smokejumper superintendent Jake Carson.
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2019: F9 Casting
In 2019, Cena was cast in Justin Lin's F9, playing Jakob Toretto.
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2019: Started dating Shay Shariatzadeh
In early 2019, John Cena began dating Shay Shariatzadeh, whom he met during the production of the film Playing with Fire.
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February 28, 2020: SmackDown Return and WrestleMania Challenge
On February 28, 2020, John Cena returned to WWE on SmackDown and was challenged by "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt to a match at WrestleMania 36, which Cena accepted.
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June 2020: Donation to Black Lives Matter
In June 2020, John Cena made a $1 million donation to Black Lives Matter as part of the #MatchAMillion initiative.
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October 12, 2020: Marriage to Shay Shariatzadeh
On October 12, 2020, John Cena married Shay Shariatzadeh in a private ceremony in Tampa, Florida.
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2020: Dolittle Voice Role
In 2020, Cena voiced Yoshi, a polar bear, in the adventure comedy film Dolittle.
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2020: Partnership with Honda
In 2020, John Cena and Honda announced a partnership, with Cena becoming the new voice of Honda.
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May 10, 2021: Posted "Bing Chilling" video on Weibo
On May 10, 2021, John Cena posted a video on his Weibo account promoting Fast & Furious 9, which led to the creation of the meme "Bing Chilling".
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July 18, 2021: Return at Money in the Bank
On July 18, 2021, John Cena made his return to WWE programming at Money in the Bank, confronting Roman Reigns after Reigns retained his Universal Championship.
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2021: Co-hosting Wipeout
In 2021, John Cena co-hosted the TV game show Wipeout.
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2021: Starring in 'F9' and 'The Suicide Squad'
In 2021, John Cena starred in 'F9' and portrayed Peacemaker in 'The Suicide Squad', continuing his acting career.
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June 6, 2022: Raw Appearance Annoucement
On June 6, 2022, it was announced that John Cena would return on the June 27 episode of Raw to mark his 20th anniversary of his in-ring debut.
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2022: Guinness World Record for granting the most Make-A-Wishes
By mid-2022, the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that John Cena had granted the most wishes in Make-A-Wish history, with his total exceeding 650 wishes.
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2022: Piano rendition of Mötley Crüe's "Home Sweet Home" for Peacemaker
In 2022, John Cena performed a piano rendition of Mötley Crüe's "Home Sweet Home" for the Peacemaker soundtrack, playing it onscreen as his Peacemaker character.
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2022: Starring in 'Peacemaker' series
In 2022, John Cena started portraying Peacemaker in the eponymous television series, continuing his acting career.
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January 27, 2023: WWE 2K23 Cover Star
On January 27, 2023, John Cena was announced as the cover star for the WWE 2K23 video game.
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May 19, 2023: Fast X Premiere
On May 19, 2023, Cena reprised his role as Jakob Toretto in Fast X, which premiered in theaters.
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August 2, 2023: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Release
On August 2, 2023, Cena was the voice of Rocksteady in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, which was released.
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2023: Starring in 'Fast X'
In 2023, John Cena starred in 'Fast X', further establishing his presence in the film industry.
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April 7, 2024: WrestleMania XL Appearance
On April 7, 2024, during the Night 2 main event of WrestleMania XL, Cena appeared to aide Cody Rhodes and take out Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns. Afterwards, The Rock performed a Rock Bottom on Cena.
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July 15, 2024: Money in the Bank Appearance
On July 15, 2024, Cena made a surprise appearance at Money in the Bank, announcing his future retirement, declaring WrestleMania 41 as his final WrestleMania but would wrestle until the end of 2025.
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2024: Appearance at the 96th Academy Awards
In 2024, John Cena appeared almost completely nude onstage at the 96th Academy Awards to present the award for best costume design.
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January 6, 2025: Raw on Netflix Announcement
On January 6, 2025, during Raw's premiere on Netflix, Cena announced he would compete in the Royal Rumble match at the Royal Rumble on February 1.
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