John Cena doesn’t have an issue with WWE and TKO owning part of the “John Cena” name. While the topic has led to a lot of talk among wrestling fans over the years, Cena says he understood exactly what he was signing and believes WWE earned that ownership through everything the company invested in building his career.
Speaking to The Guardian, Cena was asked about the unusual situation where the company has an ownership stake in the “John Cena” character despite it being his real name. Instead of criticizing the arrangement, Cena said he views it as completely fair because WWE spent years and hundreds of millions of dollars turning that name into one of the biggest brands in wrestling.
“John Cena is who I am as a human being, and there is a company – WWE/TKO – that has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the intellectual property of the character John Cena. And rightfully so; they have earned their share of ownership of that.”
According to the profile, Cena said he read the agreement before signing it, understood what it meant, and never felt like he was being taken advantage of. From his perspective, both sides contributed to making the “John Cena” brand what it is today.
Cena also pushed back on the idea that he made “sacrifices” throughout his career. He said he prefers to think of everything as a choice, explaining that every opportunity comes with giving up something else.
“I prefer to use the word choice … When we say yes to something, we say no to everything else.”
For Cena, that’s simply part of life. Whether it was signing his WWE contract or dedicating so much of his life to wrestling, he says those were decisions he made willingly, and he has no regrets about the path that made him one of the biggest stars the business has ever produced.
What do you think of Cena’s comments? Do you agree with his view that WWE earned its share of the “John Cena” brand, or should wrestlers always retain full ownership of their names? Let us know in the comments below.
