John Felix Anthony Cena ( SEE-nə; born April 23, 1977) is an American actor, retired professional wrestler, writer, and former rapper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time for WWE, he remains signed with the company as a brand ambassador as of December 2025. He is best known for his in-ring career from 2001 to 2025, where he is recognized by WWE as a record 17-time world champion.
Cena began professional wrestling in 1999 and signed with the World Wrestling Federation in 2001 (renamed WWE in 2002), where he began in its then-developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW). After debuting on the main roster on WWE SmackDown! in 2002, he rose to prominence as a brash heel rapper, before becoming the company's franchise player from the mid-2000s to the mid-2010s. He wrestled on a part-time schedule from 2017 until his retirement in 2025.