As the older brother of a Make-A-Wish recipient, I know first hand the happiness that comes when a child with a life threatening illness has their wish granted.
He broke the record of 650 in 2022, and has granted a ton more since then, but they only refer the current amount as “650 and counting”
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I'm a make a wish recipient and a volunteer for a camp for kids with cancer. His kindness extends beyond just this organization. One of my kids was at OVW, alower tier wrestling brand that cena was in as a rookie. His mom mentioned to one of the bookers that he loved John. Booker told him to wait a little bit. 20 minutes later, John cena was on a Skype on a random Friday night for half an hour with this kid. He lives to make people's days better
Imagine if you knew jumping on a video call would bring that much happiness? Half an hour to make some kid's day? Hard to beat on an evening with nothing much else planned.
Even with things planned, knowing I can fulfill a sick child's dream would probably make me get half an hour late in most situations.
Exactly. Most of us would drop everything if we knew 30 minutes of our time could become a core memory for a kid who really needs joy. It’s such a simple thing with such an enormous impact.
Most of us would, i don't think most of us would do it consistently
Exactly.
Pretty much everyone would do it initially, and then when it’s convenient.
It’s another thing to get up every day and keep that enthusiasm to give up your time and energy to others when it becomes a daily occurrence.
And not only that, it's gotta be so fucking painful to see all these sweet little kids knowing they're probably gonna die before the end of the year. Doing that day in day out, that's really gotta tear at your heart, especially for someone who cares as much as he seems to
It's rough. Knowing you likely are going to a kids funeral every year.
It is why so many problems still exist. It is very overwhelming and tiring to care all the time.
That is knowing your power and using it for the better.
One small act that can create ripples of kindness and love.
Too many people who achieve this level of power only use it for themselves, money, or to acquire more power.
I was never really a fan of John Cena the wrestler. But hands down, beyond any shadow of a doubt I am the biggest fan of John Cena the human being. He's not perfect, hit he has brought more to the world by being a part of it.. At he continue this throughout his next endeavors.
I bet all people say is "Hey we have someone on the phone who wants to speak with you" and John immediately knows it's someone who needs him when people ask that and if he answers the phone he's ready to see them
BING CHILLING
chilling
Was it just a floating hat talking?
Mr. Make-A-Wish
I used to work at a restaurant and John Cena goes there every year. Something to do with meeting his wife/ something like that. Its a little strange because the restaurant is a chain restaurant in my city (one of those "higher end" chain places, that try to be fancy but isn't).
Anyways, he did seem like a genuinely really nice guy.
Makes sense. I met my wife in Georgia and that night we went to a bar. It's not really nice, but we've gone back several times just because it's a nice memory.
My husband and I like occasionally going to dinner at an only slightly above average pub the other side of our city because we can sit at the table we met at
My wife and I used to go to a specific Perkins for this exact reason, but sadly... It no longer exists.
like maggiano’s vibes?
Think Ocean Prime type chain.
Idk that this is, because I am in Canada lol. But the name of the Chain is Joey's.
Edit: it seems that they just expanded in the USA. LA specifically.
I haven’t watched WWE in probably over a decade but I think I have to watch his fight tonight. Dude was my childhood
Its on Peacock in the USA and Youtube everywhere else.
My childhood was Hogan 😐
😬
Oof
Right?
At least he can't hurt you anymore lol
Bro was the coolest... Hogan, Sting, Booker T, Macho Man, Eddy Guerrero. Good times.
We are old. I remember when it was WWF, until the world wildlife foundation people got mad and sued.
I didn't follow it myself, but was subjected to it and (and some practice moves) by my brother.
At this point in time it's been WWE longer than it was the WWF.
If you're going to make a post about John Cena, you should really put up a picture of him and not just some text.
Glad someone pointed it out
[removed]
I also think it’s fucked up that he’s planned 650 make-a-wish events and then doesn’t show up for a single one.
Damn you! You beat me to it!
Seriously! What does the internet have against John Cena? It’s okay to post a pic of the man, but they only ever post text about him.
So clever. Every single time.
That's why it's funny.
Some jokes hit because they are overplayed.
Lighten up.
He’s also in on it now. I recently watched a video where he explains the “you can’t see me” joke to this cute little British grandma who’s TikTok famous (I think).
Link: https://youtu.be/addI9at_n0U
I would imagine the guy you're responding to is a wrestling fan, I am too...
I'm more of the belief let people have fun, but when you're wrestling fan you've seen this joke 100 more times than people who aren't, imagine listening to the same song 10 times in a row
This joke is basically that John Mulaney joke about playing Tom Jones but you're the actual people who had to listen to it 😂
PS, we know the TV show we watch is scripted, it's theater, it's murder gymnastics, and as Toni Storm put it, "a weekly Coliseum of gay violence". It's pretty great.
Let us enjoy our live action comic books, like this guy who's basically Paul Rudd's character in Hot Wet American Summer
https://youtu.be/Td47Xp3q_ho
https://youtu.be/b_An-IwN4QU?si=tloIflHEIJhmVAyc
You're looking at it wrong. At this point it's not a joke anymore, it's a legacy.
Has he ever been photographed??
What did you write? I see nothing except for an award and 100+ upvotes.
I could do without the potato salad.
Hard to post a picture of someone you can’t see
I love John Cena. A friend once suggested that Confederate monuments should all be replaced with monuments to John Cena as he has had a longer and more successful career than the Confederate States of America were in existence.
We need more people like this. Living angels 😇
The greatest of all time forever
At this point he's on that list of "please don't screw this up" people. We really don't need some terrible revelation about him ruining all of this.
outside of maybe accidently killing someone... I can't really imagine him doing anything to terrible. Now I don't know him, but like Keanu Reeves everything I see hear about him tells me he is a chill dude.
I think the thing people need to understand is that humans are complicated. Cena is a good guy, but he IS flawed. His support of countries with massive human rights issues stand out to me.
He pretty much bent over backwards to walk back a minor criticism of China some years back and I kinda had to stop following his activities outside of movies or charity work to keep from souring on him as a whole.
Now there are definitely some awful people that should absolutely be on blast 24/7, but even the people you 'like' are 9/10 going to have some awful sides to them. This is extra true if they are worth more than a million dollars and kinda exponentially gets worse the wealthier they are.
It wasn't a minor criticism of China, it was "accidentally" calling Taiwan a country.
Ah right! I forget the context cause its been a while. Yeah massive loss of respect for every celebrity who backtracked on these kinds of statements of FACT.
Here's some extra context: if China bans every movie Cena stars in because of his "error", he's going to have a much harder time getting big budget movie roles where the movie HAS to succeed in China to make money. Not apologizing to the satisfaction of the CCP is a serious threat to his career.
You are completely correct. I don’t blame him for doing it, though I wish he hadn’t. I get he’s not Brad Pitt, who was banned from China for 20 years. And obviously, Pitt has plenty of flaws. And back then, China wasn’t a huge part of the blockbuster profit.
Yeah. I know everyone likes to rip on Cena, but he has a rep as a genuinely good guy, which is awesome.
He did screw it up but everyone forgot about it. He did a hostage video to China for accidentally calling Taiwan a country. Was pathetic.
The world needs more givers than takers
There goes me hero...WATCH HIM AS HE GOES!!
Are you Scottish? Or maybe... A PIRATE?!
I'm imagining a modern Scottish pirate ship as a mix of Trainspotting, football hooligans, and a few random small, quiet gents that are particularly terrifying when you think about it. So like a snapshot of Sauchie Hall street on the water, with some Extra English yacht types with sweaters tied around their necks getting boarded on a lake or river.
How can we watch that which we cannot see?
He has really developed and matured as his fame has grown. If you listen to his interview on Howard he reflects on it. It’s admirable. Back circa 2008 I was managing a Golds Gym. Wrestling was in town and so a few of the guys come in to lift. John comes in and is by the front desk as a young teenage boy was walking by. He goes “Are you John Cena???!”. John responds “No.” and just keeps walking. It was funny to me, just the absurdity of it. Im sure John might feel differently now.
Back in 2005, there was a show that I did not attend at an venue near me. That night I was at a strip club with my brother and some friends for my brother's bday. At midnight, John Cena, Big Show, John Heidenreich, and the Bashams showed up. They were polite to everyone, talked with people, and signed random shit. Cena was particularly gracious.
Perfect example of an awesome human doing awesome human stuff. 650 is wild. I'm sure each one involves a lot. Like, this isn't a quick afternoon engagement you do with other plans for the rest of the day. Truly generous with his most precious possession, his time. Thank you kindly John Cena! :)
Im sure the mental load is astronomical too. We all get sad when we hear about a kid with a life threatening illness. He sees them, talks to them, and interacts with them. I can't imagine that burden.
There’s a now famous story of a mom having to flee Ukraine with her non-verbal autistic son. She didn’t know what to tell him, so she went with “We gotta go find John Cena”. Cena got wind of it and showed up at their place. Just to make her words true.
The funny thing is,it's just his own record. No one else is over 300
I’m not joking when I say that he’s one of my favorite actors! Peacemaker is probably my favorite series.
Peacemaker was eye opening for me. There were so many moments where all I could think was "wait... where was this? Was he a great actor this whole time?!"
That's just it, he wasn't a great actor this whole time, but he put in the work and the effort and became one.
I was not expecting to love this show as much as I did. John Cena is a legitimately good actor
I also saw him in Ricky Staniky.
I didn't think Cena would work in a raunchy, Adam standler style comedy but good lord he nailed it and had me ROLLING!!
Still waiting to see him in Wile vs ACME if that ever releases.
He’s funny in Blockers too. A lot of heart in the movie and plenty of raunch.
Oh yeah? At this point in his career, Hulk Hogan had a whispered racial slurs to over 650 escorts.
Sounds like you’re just describing foreplay, brother.
Is he actually retiring today? The farewell tour been going on for so long
He is indeed, final match is tonight
Is he still a heel or did he become a good guy again
He is a babyface again.
I never particularly liked John Cena and I’m finding that increasingly difficult to maintain.
I had a stereotype about typical wrestlers affect how I first saw him. Then my jaded view of humanity held me back because surely the scandals would start any day.
Nope. This is the Fred Rogers of WWE. He’s a genuine good person and it shows, especially when he’s not looking.
Mick Foley is another wrestler who appears to be an exceptional person. He's worked with RAINN for almost 20 years now, with hundreds and hundreds of hours legitimately working the phones for their help line.
Foley is
godgood.Hard to call a guy that still sings the praises of a guy like Vince McMahon the Fred Rogers of Wrestling.
John is a great guy, sure. Particularly by typical pro wrestler standards. But he's still flawed.
We all are.
Watch the man interviewed, he’s wildly smart and well spoken, witty, and comes off as genuine and humble. I started liking him after seeing him appear in some movies and then accidentally caught an interview and found out about his make a wish passion. We need more people like John
His acting career is really interesting.
Unlike Arnold who broke into action first, Cena jumped directly into comedies.
It feels like it shouldn’t work, but he’s a lot funnier than I ever gave him credit for.
Cena's first roles were in action films: The Marine, 12 Rounds
He was six or seven movies into his career before his first comedy
Ehh not that hard if you look beyond headlines like this. Cena still sings praises for Vince McMahon even after his scandal, and recently he was talking about how awesome it is to see his peers (CM Punk specifically in this case) throw out their principles to perform in Saudi Arabia.
He has fantastic PR though. Can't deny that.
PR is PR, but this dude has done some much for the kids, I find it very hard to believe that it was all for fame or just good PR, because there are easier, cheaper and less time consuming ways to do that. For all the faults Cena may have, I really appreciate this dude really putting in the work to make sick children lives a little bit brighter.
Having principles means they wouldn’t perform in america either
Certainly not for the WWE, but wrestlers in general don't have a lot of opportunity outside of the US.
If you really want to be pedantic then anyone working in the US right now, and not out in the streets protesting, is supporting the US Industrial & Military complex. Are workers anywhere in the US principled?
There is a gargantuan difference between essential workers doing work that actually helps people in their everyday lives (because they have something to eat, don't get burnt in their apartments or get treated at hospitals, the list goes on and on) and folks that due to being in entertainment getting an insanely powerful reach in forming opinions.
But yes, all US workers should unite and protest. That point I agree on.
Fair criticisms. I'll just say that people are complicated.
Yeah its sort of the one thing I don't understand. Its pretty clear Cena can see and think through nuanced issues so Its not like Cena cant just say Vince had vision and creative insight to build pro wrestling and WWE into what its become, but at the same time he's a piece of shit human, even if he's never experienced that side of him directly
At best Vince is a sex pest and abuser, who exploits his employees at the expense of their physical and mental health.
I’ve done three, so almost there…
Three more than the majority of us, keep up the good work!
You can't get to 300 without having 3. Three is awesome! Tell us your story!!
Used to do tours at the Grand Canyon, get a handful of Make a Wish a year with the company.
I did three in my time there.
Truthfully, one of them didn’t really sit well. Felt like it was the parents who wanted it and the kids got taken along.
3 more than god
The best description of Cena I've ever heard is "John Cena is the person Hulk Hogan pretended to be"
Not kid related but how this guy operates.
Guy i work with was at a conference in San Diego this year and was at a restaurant. He over hears This table next to him ask the waiter if they are crazy or if the guy at the table I'm the back near the restrooms was John Cena. Wait said yeah he comes in often.
About 30 minutes later he looks over and John Cena is standing at their table. He said I remember exactly what he said to these two guys "HI I'm John, Steve (waiter) mentioned you guys asked about me. I was going to stop by earlier but wanted to let you finish. I appreciate you asking so nicely about me" and then chatted with these guys for about 10 mins. Shook hands, signed an autograph and wish them well.
My coworker was blown away. All they did was ask the waiter if it was him. They didn't stare, take pics, stop at his table. But he made it a point to wait for THEM to finish their food then stop by on his way out for a Conversation.
He is built different.
Damn. It’s not often that you hear about celebrities who seem to genuinely enjoy meeting fans like John Cena. Seems like a rare case of the right person getting famous.
I love this red carpet interview... https://www.upworthy.com/john-cena-red-carpet-interview
Me too, he made that interviewers whole year!
I also like to think that it made us all think a little more about those entertainment journalists and their lives.
I worked at a hospital in Tampa that he frequented for make a wish. I've met a good number of celebrities and I will die on the hill that he is the most down to earth and lovely celebrity I have ever met. He took the time to talk to everyone that came up to him, remembered names, and seemed to genuinely listen.
There’s a good video on him getting interviewed where he turns it around and interviews the interviewer. Worth a watch.
Edit: someone actually linked it in one of the comments below.
HI CAROL, WE’RE JOHN CENA…
I laughed out loud when he popped up. Perfect cameo.
When my friends daughter got a wish, they said the two groups that stand up most for the kids are the WWE and NASCAR. Both of these groups I personally don’t care for … but have mad respect for the work they do for Make A Wish
I was a Make A Wish/Sunshine Foundation kid. My dream was to go to Wrestlemania 26. I got to meet John, have a pizza party with him, go to Fan Axxess and Wrestlemania 26. Trip of a lifetime. Just wish i could meet him again and let him know i made it.
Who was the previous record holder?
Hulk Hogan, Dale Earnhardt Jr, and Jeff Gordon had each done over 200, but no one else has 300 or more
So hw broke his own record?
Dude seems like an actual real life superhero.
Dude is a sincerely good person. He's also starting to show some acting chops.
People like John Cena and Gary Sinise are the kind of people the US sorely need right now
Also he had a great cameo on Pluribus.
Every now and then a good person becomes a celebrity. And even rarer they just keep becoming a better person in spite of the fame.
Thank you for being a kind person Mr. Cena.
Cena has actually done far more than this even suggests
So #2 is Justin Bieber who was at 250 when John was at 650. Cena is NEXT LEVEL!
Why is there just t-shirt on photo with text where is he?
And the best part? He’s already said he signed a 5-year contract with the WWE as an ambassador so stuff like this is only gonna continue and we might see Cena in a producer or a writer role soon (part time of course)
Although WWE gave him the platform fame and money for him to do this, I think, even if he hadn’t signed as an ambassador, he would still continue to do this kind of work because he doesn’t just stop being famous and in demand. I would much rather he moved on from his WWE time if I’m honest.
Dude is entering Keanu Reeves status.
That 650 was from 2022 i bet they’re waiting for it to crack 1000 before getting the number
I was never into wrestling, it always seemed like such an American thing. But man this guy always looks and sounds like a good person. I've noticed a lot of people hate him because they can't separate scripted wwe events from real life. John is a top notch guy and a great role model for kids.
John Cena 2028
I absolutely adore this man! Not a fan of WWE, but I admire him! His parents must be so proud of him.
What a cool dude. I hope he also gets some of his wishes.
Wouldn't it be nice if the ultra wealthy competed to see who could donate the most or make the most wishes each year... Rather than what they actually do.
Lots of respect for this man.
This is kinda why his heel run didn't work. Knowing he does this stuff all the time makes his bad-guy thing ridiculous. Really, John? We all know you're truly a good guy at heart.
Legend
I’m not very familiar with Cena but I want to say THANK YOU! You are simply an amazing human and the happiness you spread everyday is priceless.
This is why he is my goat 🐐
I hope one day to accomplish what this man has for putting smiles on the faces of people all around the world.
John Cena is a wrestler?!?
All jokes aside, that man is a LEGEND!
I wish young men today modeled themselves after real men like this. Cena is a hero….but also, I can’t see him in this photo for some reason? 👀 /s
And he really seems to enjoy it!!
Dude defended Vince McMahon which is not cool but he's also done a LOT of charity work for kids.
John has known Vince for over 20 years, he outright said Vince was like a father to him. If you think you could completely throw someone like that under the bus, you’re a better person than most.
He doesn't get enough credit for doing this.
Ok but what about Taiwan?
What a man. Based
I think he is retiring from wrestling today, but if I recall correctly, he has already been given an extension contract to work with talent, or something else within wwe. I may be wrong but would be great to keep him on shows.
Makes me think it would be similar to when Stone Cold was the manager of Raw and would randomly appear, argue with people, give someone a stunner and leave.
I don’t follow wrestling but knowing how generous this man has been and using his talent to bring other less fortunate people joy is such a beautiful thing! It means he was raised well & his heart is in the right place. I love him!
At least put a picture of the guy
He’s a great guy. Still upset for that apology video he made for calling Taiwan a country, tho. Wish he would’ve held his ground on that.
John Cena spending his free time granting make-a-wish wishes and hanging out with people is genuinely such a moving thing. There are a lot of people who aren't even celebs who wouldn't spend their free time to make strangers happy
Not even getting to the emotional toll it must take. Huge w and respect for Cena
Let's fucking go thank you John Cena
This guy really is a role model. Super positive guy.
Seems like a dude who cares about everybody. Now, if only John Cena would make my wish come true by giving me favorable financing on a mortgage!
They all retire and come back anyway.
You would think people would have learned by now 🤷🏻♂️
Now he's free to say Taiwan is a country.
john cena for glorious leader
Taiwan is a country
Oh yea? Show me proof he was there
He's granted 650 more wishes than god
I dunno... I mean he EATS people. Well, more precisely drinks them out of little milk cartons. There's a whole documentary about it on Apple+ 🤨
I despise wrestling, but this guy has all of my respect.
He's so bad. Er good, no bad. Wait, is he good again, or still bad. The WWE confuses me. Really though, good for him, outside of the WWE , he's has a heart of gold.
I’ve seen this posted on reddit for ages. John cena breaking the record number of make a wish things. Do they just keep telling us when he does a new one, which consequently is another broken record? Lmao
Those 650 can now see him. Lucky kids
Can I upvote this a million times? How wonderful!
Is he on a list of suggested wishes?
I can't imagine everyone else is just saying no 600 times... or I hope not anyways! lol
Make-a-Wish goat as well
Class act.
Giving people things is the greatest feeling ever. I wish I had more to give more.
I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him. He made an appearance in last week’s episode of “Pluribus” that was really fun.
He's a gentleman who delivers love from the top ropes. The man is a legend.
I mean technically he's done none because we can't see him, but whatevs.
When I was young, I was really into comic books. They had a rule that was along the lines of "Only Bucky stays dead". But no, they even brought Bucky back.
No superstars actually permanently retire from pro wrestling. Shoot, even Philip Rivers in the NFL is going to play tomorrow for some reason.
He has such an amazing story.
They can never make me hate you John Cena ❤️
Hello Carol. We are John Cena
He seems like a genuinely good guy. Always very personable
Such a good guy. I hope new people will keep being inspired by his legacy
Awesome human being. He is setting a good example.
Who was the previous record holder?
What an epic record to break
I have this previous post saved because of how wholesome it is: https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/s/1F2Hh89ZNL
He just seems like a great guy. I know they have people working for them to make sure they keep appearances but he seems genuinely nice
When it's for the kids, I can't help but clap.
Dude IS a superhero
Good for him.
Dude is a straight up class act. We need more Cena's in the world.
Also, tangentially related, radio prank
Who? I dont see anyone?....
Nah on a serious note, this is bittersweet. Watched WWE in my childhood. My little brother loved it. I adore John Cena. Thats a great record. I feel he's such a sweet person and hilarious at that. Hoping he enjoys his retirement. 💕
Is he perfect? Nah. But if every billionaire confronted their guilt the way John does, world would be fine