John Cena woke up from his American dream

«The drama of seeing a person putting their life on the line for a story» are the words used by Daniel Warren Johnson in the preface of the comic masterpiece Do a Powerbomb, to explain what attracted him to wrestling at over thirty years old, with a daughter to soothe in the middle of the night. The WWE is experiencing a new golden age, thanks to the leadership change that saw Vince McMahon stepping down and the immense popularity gained by Cody Rhodes, the new face of the company. It is probably no coincidence that at the dawn of this new era, officially started last April at the end of the final match of Wrestlemania 40, John Cena announced his retirement, which will be formalized at the end of a tour scheduled for 2025. The most well-known face of WWE in the past 20 years has managed to present himself as more than just a wrestler, touching the hearts of those who have never watched a wrestling match in their lives. In this process, of course, a large group of detractors has formed, highlighting how in wrestling there is a thin line dividing storytelling and reality.

You Have to See Me

Cena got into wrestling in 1999 after graduating in physiology and making his way in bodybuilding. He debuted in WWE a few years later, in 2002, less than a year after the September 11, 2001, attacks. The United States was a country in shock, and every decision made during that period reflected this psychological state with unsettling precision. Under the claim of "The War on Terror" - terrorism is a tactic, not a subject to declare war on - two conflicts began against two “non-countries”: in Afghanistan in 2001 and in Iraq in 2003. WWE realized that Cena was a perfect subject to build a symbol for the United States, excellent for export to the rest of the world. He is white, has a sculpted physique, possesses strong street credibility, and is an absolute phenomenon on the microphone. Furthermore, he is from Boston, and the Boston accent is the American standard for movie and TV productions presented to foreign audiences. Thus, Cena, who from the beginning carried the stereotypical rapper gimmick, also became a figure very close to the American military. He started doing the classic military salute in the ring, appeared in commercials alongside soldiers, and made his film debut, where he not coincidentally played a former Marine.

In the ring, successes began during the same period. First came the United States Championship title in March 2004, then the first WWE Championship title at Wrestlemania 21 in 2005. This rapid rise made him immediately the face of the federation. But from that point on, according to WWE, Cena also had to become the face of an entire country, which would influence the writing of his character: how he behaves, what he says, and of course, the outcomes of his matches. Cena would never have a heel turn because the United States cannot appear bad. Not only is he always the good guy in the story, but he intervenes to right injustices, because that is what the United States does in the mainstream narrative. Above all, John Cena always wins. Regardless of the foul play he suffers, the moves inflicted upon him - which would be lethal to any other roster member - and outside interference. Cena wins, and with him, America.

John Cena as a Symbol of an Entire Nation

This overlap between storytelling and reality, between man and symbol of a country, reached its peak in 2011. It was the evening of May 2nd, and Obama, live from the White House, announced the death of Osama Bin Laden. Extreme Rules was taking place in Tampa, Florida. Many viewers had not yet received the news, including the 10,000 present at the venue. At the end of his match with The Miz, Cena took the microphone and broke the news to everyone. It is impressive to compare the two videos today. On one side, Obama: alone, immersed in silence, solemnly declaring, «The United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama Bin Laden». On the other side, Cena, sweaty, shirtless, standing on a wall among 10,000 people, with an emotional look and voice, shouting «we have ended Osama Bin Laden» and then declaring he is damn proud to be an American. In the wrestler’s words is contained the entire fusion of reality and fiction at the core of the storyline and wrestling in general.

Over time, the audience would start to split. One faction couldn’t stand that John Cena was depicted as untouchable and unbeatable. And so, just as the narrative of the fight against terrorism that began on September 11th had ceased to make sense with Bin Laden’s death, giving rise to Americans' doubts, Cena's storyline also began to crumble. Complaints began to circulate; his in-ring abilities were questioned. And, even though the matches at Backlash 2009 against Edge or at Royal Rumble 2017 against AJ Styles would be enough to prove otherwise, those boos and taunts demonstrated that if a storyline is forced and made illogical, it becomes stale and ceases to find fertile ground - this applies to both John Cena and the United States. The Bostonian seemed to know this for some time, so much so that he portrayed a Pacemaker (in the eponymous TV series) directed by the genius James Gunn, which metaphorically seems to represent his journey in WWE. Perhaps it is no coincidence that just these days, so chaotic in the star-spangled universe, comes the announcement of his retirement. It is Cody Rhodes who carries the story forward today. He hails from Georgia, has platinum blonde hair, and his nickname is "American Nightmare": the world changes, and with it, the stories worth risking one’s life for.