John Cena grants 400 Make-A-Wish requests

    
John Cena is not just the champion of the squared circle. The athlete is also a champ when it comes to making kids’ wishes come true.

“We would like to thank John Cena for his commitment to Make-A-Wish, and congratulate him on being the first celebrity to grant 400 wishes!” the foundation wrote on its website last week. Make-A-Wish also noted that Cena’s 300th wish came in June of 2013. The foundation helps grant wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses.

Mark, 9 years old, met Cena with his family before a World Wrestling Entertainment event at Los Angeles’ Staples Centre. The meeting marked the 400th wish granted, more than anyone in the charity’s history. According to the WWE’s website, Cena is Make-A-Wish’s most requested celebrity wish granted.

“I think it boils down to the fact that John connects with children in a really special way,” Josh deBerge, a spokesperson for Make-A-Wish, told YAHOO Cena’s popularity. “I think that (the kids) have seen not only how he performs in the ring but they’ve seen the great things he’s done outside the ring.”

The WWE superstar first won the world championship in 2005, and since has been the face of the company. In addition to his 14 reigns as both WWE and world champion, Cena has also starred in movies “The Marine,” “12 Rounds,” and “Legendary.”

But it is his “never give up” in-ring persona that seems to draw fans, and those in need of a lift, to Cena.

“Every time somebody challenges him, he never backs down,” said Alan, a 16 year-old who is one of many that has had the chance to meet Cena. Inspired by the wrestler’s disposition, Alan willed his Hodgkin’s Lymphoma diagnosis to remission in three months.

Another child, 12 year-old Sterling, suffers from a heart condition and lost his home in a hurricane. Make-A-Wish sent him on a VIP trip to WrestleMania, where he met Cena and other WWE stars.

“I know whatever he must deal with that he has hope for the future – because he has a dream and a vision now,” Sterling’s mom April told the charity.

“He is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met,” deBerge said. “I think the thing that can’t be forgotten, in the 400 wishes that Cena has granted, is that he realises the impact of a wish come true. It’s not just a moment for these kids, but it’s something they can look forward to and something they can reflect on afterwards.”

Cena granted the 400 wishes while battling through a list of injuries, from the mundane struggles that come with 300 day-a-year travel schedules to the more serious conditions like muscle tears and neck injuries. deBerge said that despite Cena’s schedule, his international travels have never prohibited him from granting a wish.

Cena’s profile

John Felix Anthony Cena, born April 23, 1977, is an American professional wrestler, bodybuilder, rapper, and actor. He is currently signed to WWE.

Cena started his professional wrestling career in 1999 with Ultimate Pro Wrestling, where he held the UPW Heavyweight Championship. Cena signed a developmental contract with the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, later renamed to WWE) in 2001, debuting on the main roster in 2002. As of February 2014, Cena has had 21 championships reigns, including a record 11 reigns as WWE Champion and three reigns as World Heavyweight Champion. He has the fourth-highest number of combined days as WWE Champion, behind Bob Backlund, Hulk Hogan and Bruno Sammartino.

Outside of wrestling, Cena has released the rap album You Can’t See Me, which debuted at No.15 on the US Billboard 200 chart, and starred in the feature films The Marine (2006), 12 Rounds (2009), and Legendary (2010).

Cena has also made appearances on television shows including Manhunt, Deal or No Deal, MADtv, Saturday Night Live, Punk’d, and Psych. Cena was also a contestant on Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, where he made it to the final round before being eliminated, placing third in the overall competition.

Cena was born in West Newbury, Massachusetts, the son of Carol and John Cena, Sr. He is the second oldest of five brothers: Dan, Matt, Steve, and Sean. His father is of Italian descent, while his mother has French, Canadian and English ancestry.

After graduating from Cushing Academy, Cena attended Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts. In college he was a Division III All-American centre on the college football team, wearing the number 54, which is still used on some of his WWE merchandise.

He graduated from Springfield in 1998 with a degree in exercise physiology, after which he pursued a career in bodybuilding and worked as a driver for a limousine company.

Make-A-Wish Foundation

John Cena has granted 400 wishes for Arizona children with life-threatening illnesses through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and is the biggest wish granter in the organisation’s history. In 2009, Cena received the Chris Greicius Celebrity Award.

Endorsements

Before his professional wrestling career, Cena appeared in an advertisement for Gold’s Gym. As a wrestler, he has endorsed the energy drink YJ Stinger, appearing in commercials beginning in October 2003, and Subway, for whom he filmed advertisements with their spokesperson Jared Fogle in November 2006 that began airing the next January. For a time in 2007 he also endorsed two “signature collections” of energy drinks and energy bars sold by American Body Builders.

In 2008, Cena filmed a commercial as part of Gillette’s “Young Guns” NASCAR campaign.

In 2009, Cena expanded his relationship with Gillette by introducing a new online campaign called “Be A Superstar” featuring himself alongside WWE Superstars Chris Jericho and Cody Rhodes. The campaign features motivational videos.

Fashion

For the extent of his WWE career, Cena’s attire has attempted to reflect the most current fashions and stylings within the hip hop culture that his character represents.

Cena started out wearing “throwback jerseys” until WWE produced specific Cena merchandise which he began wearing. While he was a member of the SmackDown! brand, one of his WWE produced t-shirts bore the suggestive spoonerism “Ruck Fules”. Whenever it appeared on television the image was censored, not by the network, but by WWE to sell more shirts under the premise that it was “too hot for TV.”

He also wore a chain with a large padlock, occasionally using it as a weapon, until WrestleMania 21, when it was replaced with a chromed and diamond studded “Chain Gang” spinner medallion—reminiscent of the ones worn by members of G-Unit—matching his spinner title belt.

Around the time The Marine was released, Cena began wearing attire more military related, including camouflage shorts, dog tags, a Marine soldier cap and a WWE produced shirt with the legend “Chain Gang Assault Battalion.”

Shortly after WrestleMania 23, when promotion for The Marine ended, the military attire diminished and was replaced with apparel bearing his new slogan “American Made Muscle” along with denim shorts, not seen since he was a member of the SmackDown roster.

He then wore shirts that promoted Cenation and his trademark line “You Can’t See Me.” From late 2011 until Wrestlemania XXVIII, Cena again switched to camo shorts (honouring the U.S. Armed Forces), to coincide with his black “Rise Above Hate” T-shirt promoting WWE’s “Be a Star” anti-bullying campaign.

On September 16, 2012, Cena debuted a new pink and black t-shirt and cap combo with the phrase “Rise Above Cancer” that he wore through October in partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure in honour of breast cancer awareness month.

Music

In addition to his wrestling career, Cena is a rapper and a hip hop musician. He performed his fifth WWE theme song, “Basic Thugonomics,” himself, and it was featured on the WWE soundtrack album WWE Originals. He also recorded a song, “Untouchables”, for the company’s next soundtrack album WWE ThemeAddict: The Music, Vol. 6. He collaborated on the song H-U-S-T-L-E remix along with Murs, E-40, and Chingo Bling.

Cena’s debut album, You Can’t See Me, was recorded with his cousin Tha Trademarc. It features, amongst other songs, his entrance theme, “The Time is Now”, and the single “Bad, Bad Man”, for which a music video was made that parodied 1980s culture, including the television show The A-Team. A video was also made for the second single, “Right Now,” and premiered on the August 8 Raw.

Net worth

John Cena has acquired bundles of wealth due to the success he has enjoyed in his wrestling career. The bulk of his income has come from his sports career. He is a moderately successful rap singer and has earned a decent amount of money via that avenue. He has also acted in a few movies and has charged a lot of money for appearing in TV reality shows.

Cena has endorsed Fruity Pebbles cereals brand for premium US food chain Post Cereal. His other endorsements include sports beverage YJ Stinger, food giant Subway, Gold’s Gym & Gillette. As a result of all these efforts his estimated net worth till date stands at a very respectable $35 million.

Cars collection

All the millions Cena has earned offer him a very comfortable lifestyle. He has a fetish for driving vintage cars and is frequently seen driving a 1971 AMC Hornet SC/360.

Souces: yahoo.com, wikipedia.org, tsmplug.com, cagesideseats.com, celebritiesnetworth.org