John Felix Anthony Cena is an American actor and professional wrestler. As a wrestler, he has been signed to WWE since 2001, but has performed part-time since 2018. A record 16-time world champion as recognized by WWE alongside Ric Flair, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
Cena moved to California in 1998 to pursue a bodybuilding career and switched to professional wrestling in 1999, making his debut for Ultimate Pro Wrestling. In 2001, he signed with WWE and was assigned to its developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling, where he won the OVW Heavyweight Championship and OVW Southern Tag Team Championship. After moving up to WWE's main roster on SmackDown in 2002, he became a breakout success after adopting the character of a villainous trash-talking rapper. After winning his first WWE Championship in 2005, he underwent a face turn into a clean-cut heroic character, which he described as a "goody-two shoes Superman". He led the company as its franchise player and public face from the mid-2000s to the late 2010s.
Cena has held the WWE Championship a record 13 times and the World Heavyweight Championship three times.