On Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast, John Cena gave a deeply personal account of his evolving relationship with his father, John Cena Sr., explaining how he went from resentment to acceptance and appreciation by learning to “meet him where he’s at.”
A Strained Relationship
Cena explained that for years, he wanted his father to be a different person, a traditional dad, which caused friction. He contrasted this with his father’s reality as a lifelong wrestling junkie who “lives in the gimmick.” Cena said if he had spoken at his dad’s eulogy 10 years ago, “my eulogy would have been like, ‘he was just a guy, thanks for coming,’ and I would have listed every other male important mentor in my life that guided me through life… as a father figure.”
A Shift in Perspective
Cena’s perspective has changed entirely. “Me now, I’m like, ‘Go get him, Fab.’ Yeah, that’s my dad. That’s and that’s who he is,” he said. The change came from accepting his father for who he is instead of who Cena wanted him to be. “I can’t expect him to be anything more than he is… As a parent, you did a great job… we’re all healthy, we’re all stable, we’re all good, good job, boss.”
Setting Healthy Boundaries
He also detailed how he set boundaries to improve their interactions. “I’ve had these conversations with him, like, ‘Dad, love you. We gotta cool it down… Here are the rules, neutral ground, public place, because we got to start casual,'” Cena explained. This approach has led to a much better relationship. “Man, these past couple years of my dad have been awesome.”
Learning to Appreciate His Father
Now, Cena says, his eventual eulogy for his father will be completely different. “When I get the luxury of speaking in my dad’s eulogy now, people will know how excellent a human being he is, and he hasn’t changed one bit… I appreciate who he is. I love him for who he is.”
This personal story of growth and acceptance was part of a wide-ranging interview in which Cena discusses his career and life philosophy, which can be heard in full on Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Whats Your Story? With Steph McMahon with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
