Earlier this summer, John Cena featured in an episode of WWE RAW to celebrate his 20th anniversary at pro wrestling’s biggest promotion. That show was a sell-out. For the past two decades, ‘The Cenation Leader’ has been ruling the hearts of WWE fans. And while he may not be wrestling full time, Cena has become a successful movie star.

Earlier this month, SmackDown announced Cena’s return for its last episode of the year. That news was enough to send his fans queuing at the counter. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Cena’s stardom helped the WWE sell thousands of tickets.

Meltzer revealed the figure while speaking on Wrestling Observer Radio. “They’ve sold 4,000 tickets in Tampa since he was announced on that show, which is amazing,” he said.  [h/t to WrestlingNews.co]

Speaking about the 16x World Champion’s impact, Meltzer said “he is the exception to the rule” and hailed him as a “draw”.

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The ticket sales were before SmackDown announced John Cena as a partner for Kevin Owens for a tag team match against Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn. One would hope that the sales would increase significantly as Cena would not only grace the show, but he’ll also be taking on the current face of the company.

John Cena ranked the most influential WWE superstar on social media

As per a tweet from pro wrestling reporter Jim Varsallone, John Cena topped the list of most influential WWE superstars on social media. Considering the gigantic presence of his Hollywood colleague Dwayne Johnson on social media, Cena’s positioning is commendable. Meanwhile, Johnson doesn’t even feature among the top 10.

According to Varsallone, Wrestling World conducted the research.

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Cena’s coronation at the top doesn’t come as a surprise, though. With the completion of 650 wishes, granted through the Make-A-Wish foundation, he is officially the highest wish granter in the world.

Following his debut in 2002, Cena granted the 650th wish on July 19, as per the Guinness Book of World Records. It is his life outside the wrestling ring that makes him so dear to the fans.

Starting early and being disciplined helped Cena sustain for so long

John Felix Anthony Cena Jr. started lifting weights when he was just 12 years old. His dedication to the craft of bodybuilding paid off, especially if you’ve watched him in a vintage Gold’s Gym commercial. Being disciplined definitely helped the ‘Peacemaker’ have a successful pro wrestling career over a substantial length of time.

However, Cena was “conned” into bodybuilding, as per the Hollywood star.

During an appearance on ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’ in 2015, Cena shared how his grandfather had a role in it.

It was his grandfather who convinced Cena’s old man to buy a weight bench for the 12-year-old. He said after much deliberation that he “finally got the confidence to start going to a gym,” adding, “they kind of conned me into becoming a competitive bodybuilder”.

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Fortunately, the ‘conning’ had a positive result in Cena’s career. He ruled the ring for nearly 15 years and later made his mark in Hollywood. Meanwhile, WWE fans would hope for something special when the former World Champion enters the ring on December 30th.