John Cena

Date: 2025-12-05 | Duration: 2h 16m

Episode Overview

John Cena — WWE legend, platinum-selling rapper, and Hollywood actor — drops by for a wide-ranging conversation about wrestling, performance, and life after the ring. Cena opens with news that he has just one WWE match left before retirement, and Joe shares that he'll be in the front row. The pair dig into the physicality of pro wrestling, including Cena's ACL surgery using a cadaver Achilles tendon and what it's like to work through that with five days of recovery before a birthday party. Cena reflects on his unexpected rap career, how he tested tracks on his little brother, and how he went platinum against all expectations. A long thread runs through performance psychology: what to do with the adrenaline after a live event ends, the way WWE production builds superstar mythology, and Trump's appearance at a WWE show during his presidential run. Throughout, Cena is candid about his philosophy — he just wanted to wrestle, and if WWE had fired him he'd have gone to Japan, Mexico, or the UK. He never wanted to phone it in. The conversation closes on legacy, social media's viral unpredictability, and what "the rest of life" looks like.

About John Cena

John Cena is a multifaceted entertainer best known as a 17-time WWE World Champion, where he became a household name in professional wrestling. Beyond the ring, he has transitioned into a successful acting career, starring in blockbuster films such as "F9," "The Suicide Squad," and "Blockers," while also authoring bestselling books that inspire resilience and positivity. Cena is not only recognized for his impressive athleticism and charisma but also for his philanthropic efforts, including granting over 650 wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation. His compelling journey from wrestling icon to Hollywood star, combined with his dedication to charitable causes, makes him a fascinating figure in contemporary entertainment.

Key Moments

– John Cena's final WWE match and retirement
– ACL surgery using a cadaver Achilles tendon
– Cena's platinum-selling rap career and album creation
– Performance psychology — the adrenaline after a live show
– WWE superstar mythology and production craft
– Trump appearing at a WWE event during his presidential run
– Just wanting to wrestle — the drive that would have taken him anywhere
– Life after the ring and what comes next
0:00:00 – John Cena in the house — putting on glasses to look professional
0:21:39 – One match left — Cena's upcoming retirement bout, Joe will be front row
0:32:17 – ACL surgery with a cadaver Achilles tendon — five days later at a birthday party
0:41:54 – What do you do with the adrenaline after a live wrestling show ends?
0:52:24 – Playing Roller Coaster Tycoon in the locker room and hearing guys rap
1:01:45 – WWE superstar mythology — how production builds importance; Trump at a WWE show
1:21:05 – Going platinum — making the rap album and testing tracks on his little brother
1:31:48 – Just wanted to wrestle — if fired by WWE he'd have gone to Japan, Mexico, or the UK
1:54:04 – You can't control where you start, only where you're going and how you respond
2:03:12 – YouTube videos going viral — nobody saw that format coming

Transcript Excerpt

Starting point is 00:00:00 Joe Rogan podcast, check it out. The Joe Rogan Experience. Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast by night, all day. What's up? John Cena in the fucking house. Put these on. Yeah, let's put these on, pretend we're professional. What's up? Starting point is 00:00:21 Good to see you, man. Thanks so much for having me. My pleasure. And there's no way I'm having a pro wrestler on without Tony Hinchcliffe. Of course. possible he's the expert he knows more about pro wrestling than i know about ufc yeah sometimes i translate little things here and there that's cool it's all right yeah he has to he has to and he's a giant fan of yours too you know what else is a giant fan of yours is brian simpson brian simpson was Starting point is 00:00:44 going on last night about how intelligent you are it was really interesting you know sure was me yeah well you do speak fucking mandarin which is kind of crazy uh yeah yeah how long did it take you to learn that? Man, I was doing that for quite a long time. I've since kind of declined on the studies. A wonderful takeaway from the study of Mandarin. Just because you know a language doesn't mean you know the culture. So that was a fantastic experience. But I studied Mandarin for like a decade. And I would say like not even conversationalally fluent. It was a really tough hill to climb for me. But it seems like a really big hill. It's just a just, it's just a just different. You know, even if you can speak it and you read it, you know, the reading. Starting point is 00:01:30 No, no, I didn't even bother to read. And, like, reading all the characters, understanding everything. Yeah. How long did it take you to learn? Around 10 years. Whoa. Yeah. And then, like, I mean, I would dream in Mandarin and, like, have conversations and kick down in that. So it became like a, like, a second language. But, you know, I lived in China for a little bit. I filmed a movie with Jackie Chan. So I was there for, like, six or seven month...

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Frequently asked about this episode

Who was the guest on Joe Rogan Experience #2423?

John Cena was the guest on JRE #2423. This page includes the episode overview, topics discussed, and related resources.

What topics were discussed on JRE #2423?

On Joe Rogan Experience #2423 with John Cena, topics include John Cena's final WWE match and retirement, ACL surgery using a cadaver Achilles tendon, Cena's platinum-selling rap career and album creation, and Performance psychology — the adrenaline after a live show.

Where can I read the transcript for JRE #2423?

The full searchable transcript for Joe Rogan Experience #2423 with John Cena is available on this page, along with key topics and timestamps.