John Cena reflects on his early days in California.
Before he pursued professional wrestling, John Cena attempted to break out in the fitness industry, with California as his backdrop. As Cena attests, though, not everything was as glamorous as one might expect.
While speaking with O’Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson of No-Contest Wrestling, Cena opened up about the sacrifices he made in “The Golden State,” specifically when it came to his housing situation.
For three months, Cena lived in his car, a 1991 Lincoln Continental. Later, he upgraded to a garage, which he described as a dirty, but fun experience.
“I always need to preface that I wanted to live in my car,” Cena said. “There are people who do not have a lot of opportunities. I had safety, shelter, and a roof over my head back home in West Newbury. I wanted to give it a go, and I loved it. So what, you’re living in Lincoln Continental for a couple months? And I was working at Gold’s. They’re open from four to midnight and I was working there so I just shower, kept my s*** in my locker. I’m in the parking lot 24/7 and I’m an employee, so they’re not busting my ass about parking. It was easy.
“…Three months in the car and then I got the opportunity to move in a garage,” he continued. “In Venice, right on the border of Venice and Santa Monica. It’s the street back from Rose. It’s like the last real street before you start the descent to the beach. Gold’s is on Hampton. I moved into a lady’s garage on Pacific where your kitchen is this one hot plate thing. Place was full of fleas and roaches, but it was awesome. Again I love it. Man, every day I could look down, kind of see the beach, then walk to work and walk back. It was great.”
With his fitness ambitions eventually morphing into ones for professional wrestling, Cena began training with Ultimate Pro Wrestling in the late 1990s. Of course, he then went on to superstardom in WWE.
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