How John Cena got into wrestling
The 2025 Annual Global Leadership Conference of Gold’s Gym took place at the Fairmont Hotel in Washington DC, offering the usual excellent networking opportunities with old and new colleagues.
However, the final night held a special surprise. The guest of honor was revealed to be… John Cena! This former employee of Gold’s Gym, the iconic brand that will celebrate its 60th birthday in August, is an actor and 17-time WWE champion.
Cena, who went on a seven-year hiatus, recently captured his record-breaking world championship title at Wrestlemania 41 last month against Cody Rhodes.
His impact extends far beyond wrestling; he also holds the record for fulfilling an astounding 650 Make-A-Wish requests. I’d like to share significant excerpts from his live stage interview, which truly highlighted the values and character of this legendary figure.
“I have my own definition of what that (Gold’s Gym) logo means. You all have your own definition of what that logo means. Okay, so I grew up in a small town in Massachusetts. I grew up in West Newbury. I’m literally heading there to see my mom tonight. I come from a small town and when I say small, I mean 1,200 people small. It is now brought up to speed. There’s a lot more homes there. I think the population is 4,000. So we’ve grown.
“As a teenager, as I found strength and fitness, Gold’s Gym became a beacon of what I wanted to accomplish in life. I looked through the pages of Flex magazine, Muscle and Fitness, and Muscle magazine. Every photo shoot without fail was done at Gold’s Gym Venice. I mean, it was what it says it was: the mecca of bodybuilding.
“So fast forward to getting a degree from Springfield College. I got a degree in (exercise physiology and body movement) How to Work Out, which was awesome. As an 18-year-old, that was very attractive to me. So I get my piece of paper that I went into a lot of debt for, and I didn’t know how to use it. And I said, well, at least with this paper, maybe I can check out the mecca of bodybuilding. So in my senior year of spring break, while other students were going to Cancun to get drunk, I was like, man, I have money to afford one trip. I’m gonna take a look to see what the mecca looks like..
“I was the tourist, and I was just absolutely smitten with everything that the mecca of bodybuilding was. And when I left my last workout in spring break, I didn’t know what the future was, but I knew I was enamored by the place. And an old man in a sport[s] coat came running out of the gym, and I thought I was being mugged. It was Ed Connors, who had just turned 80 the day before. He was a former co-owner of Gold’s.” Connors encouraged him to join as an employee after college.
“So I listened to him. And when I graduated a month later, with $500 and two military duffel bags filled with clothes, I came out to Gold’s Gym to live in a garage. And, man, that’s the start of an incredibly interesting story for me that is very meaningful. This crazy roller coaster of opportunities does not happen without that logo, without that muscle man holding a barbell.
“But Gold’s Gym was also a very honest place and that’s what I love about strength training and health and fitness. It is honest. You essentially need to look at yourself in the mirror. And in the ‘90s, and especially in 1999, everyone competing for Mr. Olympia trained there or came through there at one time. As an aspiring and successful drug-free bodybuilder in Upper New England, I was like, man, I’m gonna go try my hand at this. And then I looked at Flex Wheeler, Chris Cormier, Shawn Ray, and Dorian Yates. Big dudes like Gunther Schlierkamp, Markus Ruhl, Jay Cutler. I saw all these people walk through the door, and then I realized I can’t do this because they look a certain way, and I don’t even look close to that.
“Honestly, I’m so grateful, because here I was. If I had stayed in New England, I would have pushed all this equity and time into a profession that, when judged against the one percent who call it a vocation, I would have failed. So what did I do? I went to the center of it all to see that one percent in action. It didn’t sour me on health and fitness. I became more driven because I see the way these people trained. But it also was a realistic depiction of, hey, there are other paths you can manage in life, and health and fitness can still be the tip of that spear. And it led me to professional wrestling and I’m so glad it did.
“When I started to train as a pro wrestler, I never expected anything except that was my new hobby. That was my new bodybuilding. I would work my job to dive down from my shows to do the competition, knowing that it was just a way to keep healthy.
“Pro wrestling then filled that void. I would love to train and be in shape so I could dress up as a superhero on Saturday and go to some flea market or outdoor barbecue and get thrown around and get my butt kicked. This sounded like a great thing. Gold’s Venice was unique because it was open from 4 a.m. to midnight. And they understood the side hustle, essentially, of LA.
“So the general manager was very accommodating to be like, okay, you have rest and practice at night. We’ll put you in a morning shift. No problem. I lived in the garage. And the great thing about it was because the gym had such open hours, I would wake up at 4:30, I’d use the locker room, I’d get ready for work. Then I would come down and work in the pro shop, and then train afterwards. That’s dedication, that is what we talk a lot about grit and perseverance. And that’s a great example of that.
“First time I saw a ring I was like, okay I’m gonna hold off on adulthood and I’m just gonna use this as my new hobby. I don’t think I’m gonna make it, but I would like to try to balance working at goals. I even actually took a pay cut (from the gym salary). Well, no sh*t. When I got my contract from WWF, I took a huge pay cut because $12,500 a year in Los Angeles is very tough. But someone had bet on me, and what’s the best way I can hedge? Okay, put it all in. I’m now a professional wrestler. I’m being paid to do this. So even if it’s short-lived, I don’t want to look back and be like, man, I should have given more. I was able to parlay a $12,500 wager into a few more zeros.
“So questions that I get asked a lot. Do you get nervous? Do you suffer from self-doubt? And what is your favorite match? I get nervous all the time for everything, I believe. When the nerves are gone, you gotta find another path if the passion is no longer there.
“Self-doubt is a human condition. If you don’t (have any self-doubts), you’re a sociopath, and that’s also a clinical condition. So get yourself checked out. Make sure you have the proper help, right? I think that’s something we can all relate to in all experience. What’s my favorite WW match? I have five more months to answer this. My next one, because I’m grateful to still be able to go out and do what I do, and call it my vocation, and not just a job. So until I step away, which will be in December, my favorite magic moments are the ones I have yet to write.”