The Week in Wrestling: WWE Still a Big Part of John Cena’s Future Plans.

[KShehzad]

John Cena “Contemplating” What’s Next.

John Cena is returning to weekly television.
The WWE icon is the new host of Nickelodeon’s Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader, which premiered this week and airs next Monday at 7 p.m. ET. Monday night television is Cena’s expertise, having made his longtime home on WWE’s Raw.
The show blends two of Cena’s driving passions, entertainment and advocating for children.

“Young people surround me with a certain energy and certain way of thinking that only young people have,” said Cena, who spent Monday afternoon in New York as part of the press launch for the new show. “There is a certain genuineness about kids, and they just have a certain way about them that is pure and honest.

The premise of the series is children helping adult contestants with questions developed from an elementary school curriculum. Cena’s charisma carries the show, but his interaction with the children on the show adds an effervescent touch to the program.

“The show is geared around the kids, and they get the liberty to show themselves as people,” said Cena. “They’re all vibrant personalities, they all have wisdom beyond their years, and they’re all exceptionally smart.

“And the show’s live audience, that’s something I really gravitated to after I spent the majority of my time performing in front of live audiences every night. You couldn’t help but be enamored by the reaction of young people in the audience. I enjoy it, and it keeps me a kid. I never want to lose that innocence and honesty.”

The content is certainly different, but Cena’s work as a host on Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? shares plenty of connective tissue with his promos on Raw. As an executive producer, Cena took what he learned from the pro wrestling conglomerate and crafted his own touch for Nickelodeon.

“After doing some episodes, I have so many more ideas to involve the live audience,” said Cena, who is intimately familiar with interactive WWE audiences. “The more fun you make the environment, the more fun it is at home. This is something of a direct translation to my time in WWE. Some of the greatest moments ever in WWE have been performers just staring at each
other, but because the audience is going nuts, it’s attracting to the consumer at home.

“The show was all about creating a fun environment. The live audience is a great part of that, and I really stressed that, one, the kids are the stars, and two, the audience is important.”
Cena also just announced his part in the upcoming ninth installment of the Fast and the Furious franchise, adding another dimension to his diverse acting portfolio. But he is forever intertwined with WWE, and ideas surrounding his next return are always percolating.

“Whatever the next step is, that’s essentially what I’m contemplating,” said Cena. “How do I fit in? Where do I fit in? And it makes it extra peculiar now that all these outside opportunities are coming in, but it couldn’t have happened at a better time.”

There is no other performer in the entire industry who turns the ratings dial quite like Cena.

“There are tremendous opportunities that are being presented that I certainly want to take advantage of, but I could spend all my time talking about WWE,” said Cena. “I truly love the company, I love the brand. I just constantly take assessment of myself. I remember, if you jump in the way back machine to 2009, then again in 2012 and again in 2015, people are constantly asking, ‘Well, when are you done?’ That’s a conversation I’ll have with myself when I am a step slower and I feel I can’t keep up.”

WWE appears on the brink of a competitive situation with All Elite Wrestling. The Tony Khan-led promotion is dripping with stars, and has its finger on the pulse of a fan base oversaturated with wrestling but lacking in the areas of most need. Will AEW prefer to exist in its own lane? Or, based off the Double or Nothing show that took shots at the legitimacy of Triple H’s throne and unveiled Jon Moxley in his new position of shifting the wrestling paradigm, it appears AEW will compete directly with WWE. Either way, WWE will need Cena if they want to meet the needs of the vast fan base.

“I have a good perspective of the product,” said Cena. “The product is very performance-based. I’ve never been the most orthodox performer. I’ve been able to take an honest assessment of myself, and there is nothing wrong with admitting, ‘Hey, I’m not sure I can perform at the level I used to.’ I want to be confident in every performance.

“I’m not sure what my role is, but I know WWE is my family and, as long as they’ll have me, I’ll never leave. Heck, I’ll go coach in Orlando [at the WWE Performance Center]. It would be so shameful for that experience and performance wisdom to go to no one. Whether I had the opportunity to do Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? Or Fast and the Furious, or if I had none of that going on and I just had idle time, I would be having the same conversation with myself. I need to define what my new role is. That’s the conversation I’m having with myself at 42 after performing for 16 years straight.”

Cena is still active in his charitable endeavors, which often extend beyond the wide reach of WWE. Three weeks ago, Cena shared a touching moment with 13-year-old Diego Hernandez on a surprise visit for his birthday. Diego is terminally ill, battling an advanced form of craniosynostosis, and despite six surgeries, his spine is growing into his skull. Cena’s trip to Staunton, Virginia will serve as an everlasting memory for the boy and his family.

“Seeing people smile is a cool way to go about your daily grind,” said Cena. “I had a wonderful time in Diego’s house, and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Friday morning.”

Cena’s legacy will ultimately be defined by his work with children, though his wrestling accolades are also impressive. The 16-time world champ and longtime face of WWE returned at WrestleMania 35 as the “Doctor of Thugonomics.”

“I look at the whole process differently than anyone else, and that’s why I have as much fun as I do with it,” said Cena. “I attack the creative process differently than anyone else. I’m consistently taking the most realistic look at myself and the company as I possibly can. You have to remember, the last time I was in New York [for WrestleMania 29 vs. The Rock], I was working in one of the most high-profile matches in WWE history. This time around, I pretty much came out as a mascot. And the year before I was a fan.

“It’s not about what you do. So many people get caught up in what they do or how big a role they’re going to play. I just want a spot on the team. That’s been my philosophy since I started training in Orange County. I’ll do whatever I can to the best of my ability and have fun doing it.”

In the same manner that Cena allows his opponents to star alongside him in the ring, he is placing all his creative energy into creating a show where the kids are the stars.

“I’ll hopefully be a vehicle to get people to watch the show, but when they watch the show, I want them to remember Patrick, Saya, Quinne, and the whole bunch of gifted students,” said Cena. “This is their opportunity to shine, and that is my role. Understanding that allows me to have a lot more fun.”


The show offers the full Cena experience, reminding viewers of his charm, wit, and spirit.
“It’s a fun, easy watch, and I could go on and on about how it makes learning fun, how it showcases people’s skills, teaching young people to be who they are and not be ashamed of who they are,” said Cena. “But above all, it’s a fun watch for families.”