WWE legend and 17-time World Champion John Cena spoke with The Guardian about various topics, including why he doesn’t want children of his own.
Cena said, “[I’m home] about 15 days a year and even now it’s maybe 70. If I said yes to children, I have to say no to everything else. I really enjoy my life. If I have a family of my own, I don’t have those 650 moments. I’m flying with just my partner on this one. I have a loving connection that people don’t see. I don’t need the world to totally know me as a person.”
On being bullied when he was young:
“I didn’t treat hostility with hostility. I got bullied for the way that I dressed, so I dressed more outlandish. I’ll just project a physical sense of: Man, I don’t want to press my luck with that guy.”
On WWE/TKO owning his legal name:
“John Cena is who I am as a human being, and there is a company – WWE/TKO – that has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the intellectual property of the character John Cena. And rightfully so; they have earned their share of ownership of that. … I prefer to use the word choice … When we say yes to something, we say no to everything else.”
On being reluctant to assume the mantle as a face for positive masculinity or male role models:
“Rather than trying to take the reins of a movement or be the poster child for something, I’m just trying to be me. The appetite for a certain kind of manhood is just supply and demand. My advice would be: go get it. … [The system] is real fragile … if I say I’m going to be the showcase of masculinity and the supply-and-demand chain pivots in five minutes, I’m **** out of luck.”
On facing criticism over his response to referring to Taiwan as a country:
“Just because you know the language doesn’t mean you know the culture. I got way too overconfident. I thought I was the smartest guy in the room.”
On his loyalty to WWE in the face of criticism such as shows in Saudi Arabia:
“WWE offers a universal language of diplomacy. So, to your question of: ‘Hey, the thing that you’re in is sometimes criticised for the moves that it makes as an entity – is that difficult?’ Of course it is, especially when you believe in the entity.”
