LG
04-04-2013, 10:01 PM
At 6 feet 1 and 251 pounds, pro wrestler John Cena has amassed 10 WWE Championships and faced countless opponents since he debuted in 2002, but he's never encountered anyone as tough as the kids he's met through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
"These kids are some of the strongest fighters," Cena said of the ill and terminally ill children the charity serves. "It provides me with a way to stay stronger."
And he's met a lot of them: Cena set the record in 2012 for granting his 300th wish, the first celebrity ever to reach that number.
WHAT: Wrestlemania 29. WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Sunday. WHERE: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford. HOW MUCH: Sold out.
His charity work is why Cena, readying for a highly anticipated rematch against Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson during this weekend's Wrestlemania event at MetLife Stadium, needs to stay the good guy in the ring. It's also why Cena doesn't pay attention to the pro wrestling fans on Twitter who clamor for him to make a switch to the dark side and become a "bad guy."
"To sacrifice all that I do for a short-term story … it doesn't seem worth it," Cena said.
In addition to his work with Make-A-Wish, the Massachusetts native has raised $1 million for breast cancer research through a partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, made several trips overseas for WWE's Tribute to the Troops and brought awareness to anti-bullying alliance "be a STAR."
Next up for Cena is an online auction as part of the WWE's "Superstars for Sandy Relief." Now through Tuesday, fans can visit Charitybuzz.com to bid on items that range from attending a NASCAR race with Cena (he's a big fan of the sport) to meeting Tyra Banks on the set of "America's Next Top Model" and pitching entrepreneurial ideas to Mark Cuban from ABC's "Shark Tank."
For Cena, also an actor and occasional rapper, getting into the ring to face The Rock (who beat him last year), or any other wrestler, is more than just entertainment.
"We offer a chance to come into the arena or your TV and escape with your favorite superhero," Cena said.
Part of that is maintaining on-screen the persona he's developed in his real life, he added.
"I'm one of the few people that doesn't play a character," Cena said. "Every Monday night, I'm John Cena."
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"These kids are some of the strongest fighters," Cena said of the ill and terminally ill children the charity serves. "It provides me with a way to stay stronger."
And he's met a lot of them: Cena set the record in 2012 for granting his 300th wish, the first celebrity ever to reach that number.
WHAT: Wrestlemania 29. WHEN: 6:30 p.m. Sunday. WHERE: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford. HOW MUCH: Sold out.
His charity work is why Cena, readying for a highly anticipated rematch against Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson during this weekend's Wrestlemania event at MetLife Stadium, needs to stay the good guy in the ring. It's also why Cena doesn't pay attention to the pro wrestling fans on Twitter who clamor for him to make a switch to the dark side and become a "bad guy."
"To sacrifice all that I do for a short-term story … it doesn't seem worth it," Cena said.
In addition to his work with Make-A-Wish, the Massachusetts native has raised $1 million for breast cancer research through a partnership with Susan G. Komen for the Cure, made several trips overseas for WWE's Tribute to the Troops and brought awareness to anti-bullying alliance "be a STAR."
Next up for Cena is an online auction as part of the WWE's "Superstars for Sandy Relief." Now through Tuesday, fans can visit Charitybuzz.com to bid on items that range from attending a NASCAR race with Cena (he's a big fan of the sport) to meeting Tyra Banks on the set of "America's Next Top Model" and pitching entrepreneurial ideas to Mark Cuban from ABC's "Shark Tank."
For Cena, also an actor and occasional rapper, getting into the ring to face The Rock (who beat him last year), or any other wrestler, is more than just entertainment.
"We offer a chance to come into the arena or your TV and escape with your favorite superhero," Cena said.
Part of that is maintaining on-screen the persona he's developed in his real life, he added.
"I'm one of the few people that doesn't play a character," Cena said. "Every Monday night, I'm John Cena."
northjersey