Top 20 Funniest John Cena Moments OUTSIDE the Ring
#20: Cena Surprise
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Cricket Wireless Promotion (2016) John Cena is known for being a meme machine. In 2016, he collaborated with Wireless Cricket by parodying the “Unexpected John Cena” viral sensation. In the first video, the Champ surprised fans by bursting through the wall with a brass band playing his entrance tune as they auditioned to be an ambassador for his store. The reaction of the fans seeing their hero with unbridled excitement is amazing. When Cena pokes his head through the wall to question a fan’s response to what animal he would be, another meme moment was born. In 2017, Cena was surprised by his fans for a change with heartfelt messages from them.
#19: The Hogan Impression
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“Maya & Marty” (2016) If you’re a wrestler or a fan of the spectacle, at some point, you’ve done a Hulk Hogan impression, at least in private, like us. In 2016, Cena appeared in a skit for the short-lived variety show, “Maya & Marty” and did it publicly. Cena donned the blonde mustache and the bright attire of his childhood hero as he auditioned to play Hogan. This part, inspired by “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story” TV show, would examine the infamous lawsuit between Hogan and Gawker. Cena has a whale of a time mimicking the mannerisms of Hulk doing a wrestling promo with plenty of innuendoes just before he gets busy with a friend’s wife, played by Eva Longoria.
#18: Special Bird Skills
“Vacation Friends” (2021) Since stepping back from the ring, Cena has let his comedy chops shine on the big screen. In 2021, he appeared as the unhinged Ron in “Vacation Friends.” He and his partner Kyla befriend Marcus and Emily on holiday in Mexico and have a wild time. On top of being a Green Beret and able to shoot a bottle off Marcus’s head, Ron has another yet more unique skill. He’s able to predict when a bird is about to drop anchor, feed the fish, or whatever innuendo you want to use for defecating. It’s a bizarre ability that would make for a rubbish superhero. But in the film, Cena uses it magically for laughs.
#17: Guilty Pleasure
UNILAD Interview (2024) When doing promotional work for a film, actors can get pretty dull after many, many interviews sucking their lust for life. Yet Cena is seemingly an exception. In 2024, while promoting “Ricky Stanicky,” he and co-stars Zac Efron and Jermaine Fowler spoke to UNILAD about their guilty pleasure movie. After hearing the others say “The Emperor's New Groove” and “Finding Nemo,” Cena is annoyed that they shouldn’t count as they’re not guilty pleasures. So, he utters his with 1972’s “Behind the Green Door.” Confusion washes over everyone until someone off-camera Googles it and explains that it’s an adult film. Cena defending his choice by saying he likes the classics is wonderful.
#16: Trash Talking with John Cena
“The Late Late Show with James Corden” (2015-23) Cena’s got a way with words while speaking in the ring, and that easily transfers over to talk show sets. In May 2016, during an appearance on “The Late Late Show with James Corden,” Cena showed his knack for humor, even without using scripted lines. Fans got to see the wrestler speak candidly about topics like his relationships with both The Rock and Kevin Hart. Although he already had film experience by the time this show was taped, Cena displayed the same natural stage presence that’s helped make him a household name with the WWE.
#15: John Cena Thinks You Should Read
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“Hannah Montana” (2006-11) Whoever said reading isn’t extreme clearly hasn’t met John Cena. In a 2010 episode of Disney Channel’s “Hannah Montana,” Cena appears as himself to give the character Jackson a reading lesson. Jackson would rather read wrestling magazines than finish his assigned book. Cena, being the wholesome Samaritan he is, uses some, uhh… “encouragement” to steer Jackson on the right path. And by “encouragement,” we mean a literal attitude adjustment. Luckily, actor Jason Earles was actually 33 at the time the episode aired; otherwise, the cameo would’ve consisted of a 16-year-old receiving the Five Knuckle Shuffle.
#14: Fatherly Love
“Fred: The Movie” (2010) Apparently kicking the crap outta one teenager isn’t enough. In 2010, Cena co-starred in a film nobody really asked for: “Fred: The Movie.” In it, the WWE Champ plays the high-pitched Fred’s father. Cena’s character is seemingly imaginary, as he appears at random times to give Fred some fatherly advice. Of course, these life tips are usually accompanied by some aggressive maneuvers, like headlocks. You may never have seen this movie, but even with its 0% score on Rotten Tomatoes, watching Cena smash a vase over this annoying kid is worth the price of admission.
#13: Stay Golden, Ponyboy
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“The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” (2014-) As a rapper and one of the best wrestlers at promos, Cena has plenty of practice with creative improvisation. And in 2017, while on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” the mainstream audience got to witness that with the Mad Lib Theater segment. Cena gave bonkers and delightful responses while Fallon wrote his words for a scene. But seeing the Christmas scene play out… it was perfect. Struggling not to corpse, the two eventually broke with Fallon saying their dad used to tell him to “stay golden, Ponyboy.” Another top-notch Cena and Fallon moment was during their Whisper Challenge in 2017. Not only did Cena tickle some ribs and smash the contest, but he also birthed MORE memes with his boogying!
#12: Banana Science
“Saturday Night Live” (1975-) On top of hosting duties for “Saturday Night Live” in 2016 – more on that later – Cena, of course, starred in several skits. The pick of the bunch was the “Science Presentation” segment. Our beloved wrestler-turned-actor played the part of Ray, an Alabama college football star who needs an A+ on all his finals, or he’ll sit out an upcoming game. However, instead of getting the neutrality Ray stated he wanted, the assessors are very biased in his favor. They ignore the scientific advancement of the other students, such as a particle accelerator, to gush over Ray’s bananas nailed to wood. Ray describing the different banana states, including “round,” was the icing on the banana crust.
#11: Hosting the ESPYs
“24th ESPY Awards” (2016) Wrestling is often looked down upon by other sports fans. After all, it’s scripted entertainment with the outcomes predetermined. So, you can imagine a few were annoyed by Cena hosting the 2016 ESPY Awards to celebrate excellence in sport. In his opening monologue, The Champ addressed that issue hilariously by comparing sports to pro wrestling. Cena stating Odell Beckham Jr. was a parrot away from being Koko B. Ware was a particular highlight. The Champ didn’t relent on which athletes he poked fun at. LeBron James, Peyton Manning, and Kobe Bryant were all targeted by him with some good-natured jabs.
#10: Dressing Up as Nikki Bella
“Total Bellas” (2016-21) The reality show “Total Bellas” gave viewers a front-row seat to Cena’s relationship with his girlfriend at the time, WWE Diva Nikki Bella. And let us tell you, their relationship got a little weird at times. Case in point? That time they dressed up as each other for Halloween. While Nikki’s costume is pretty standard, Cena’s appearance will be burned into viewers’ minds forever. Between the lipstick, how well he wears those spankies, and his surprisingly competent hip-swinging, this brief video will make any fan double over in laughter. Seriously, the guy looks almost too natural during that dance.
#9: John Cena’s School of Flopping
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“SportsNation” (2009-22) Who better to teach over-the-top contact reactions than a professional wrestler? In a hilarious skit on ESPN’s “SportsNation,” Cena gives some expert advice to basketball players on how to purposely draw fouls. While the segment’s premise is already funny on its own, its execution makes this an instant classic. Live demonstrations, testimonials, and blunt coaching tactics lead to a performance that’s as informative as it is funny. The fictional infomercial ends with a rant so abusive that we doubt it would even be allowed on the WWE – just another reason why we love it so much.
#8: Pazuzu the Dealer
“Sisters” (2015) We guess seeing the WWE superstar as a drug dealer here is the logical next step. While this guest appearance is much more stoic than usual, Cena still steals the scene. This is partly thanks to his dialogue, which describes a drug box so colorful that only a dealer in Amsterdam could match it. On top of that, the juxtaposition of Cena, with his massive stature and tattoos, and Tina Fey and Amy Poehler creates a hilarious sense of tension. The fact that his character’s named Pazuzu, like the demon from “The Exorcist,” is just icing on the cake.
#7: Opening Monologue
“Saturday Night Live” (1975-) Cena impressively joined icons like Richard Pryor, Justin Timberlake, and Alec Baldwin by hosting “Saturday Night Live.” During his opening monologue, the Superstar makes it clear that he wants to leave his WWE persona in the ring for the night. However, his “SNL” co-stars are having none of it. Bobby Moynihan, Leslie Jones, and Kenan Thompson each take turns interrupting the monologue to challenge Cena to a match. In the end, he can’t resist, and reverts to his stage character. Apparently, you can take the Cena out of the ring, but you can’t take the ring out of Cena.
#6: Another Side of Cena
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“Trainwreck” (2015) When it comes to film acting, “Trainwreck” is John Cena’s magnum opus – at least so far. The Superstar plays the sensitive and gym-obsessed guy who’s dating Amy Schumer’s sexually promiscuous character. In a departure from how we normally see him, Cena’s character Steven is the kinda guy who prefers talking through issues, even if it doesn’t always work out so well. He shows off his softer side when attempting to trash talk, and even during an awkward sex scene. Sadly, he eventually gets his heart crushed by Amy after he reveals his dreams for the future.
#5: Denial Dad
“Blockers” (2018) After his success in supporting roles in comedy films, Cena was ready to be the main star in 2018 for “Blockers.” All about three parents attempting to stop their daughters from “getting lucky” on prom night, Cena’s portrayal of an overprotective dad as Mitchell Mannes is delightful. In one scene, his denial over their kids using emojis as expletive subtext for shenanigans tickles the funny bone nicely. Another is when Mitchell shows his devotion to finding his daughter. At a party, he willingly chugs a beverage in a far more intimate area than people typically drink from. The over-the-top reactions in the chaos were captured perfectly by Cena.
#4: Merman Ken
“Barbie” (2023) Margot Robbie explained in an interview that she was at a restaurant when she discovered the bill was surprisingly covered by Cena, who was coincidentally there. From that, she offered him the role of Merman Ken in 2023’s “Barbie,” and he accepted immediately. While Cena only popped up a couple of times in the smash-hit movie, he left a lasting impression as the long-locked, beefy Mer-Ken - or Kenmaid. Whether he was serenading on a ukulele or drinking a beer, he was delightful. Weirdly, we nearly didn’t get this at all. Cena claimed on “The Howard Stern Show” that his agent advised him against the role, believing it would tank his career. How wrong they were.
#3: The ProGlide Challenge
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Gillette Fusion ProGlide Commercial (2010) Maybe his return at the 2008 Royal Rumble isn’t Cena’s most shocking appearance after all. Cena already represented Gillette against NASCAR racers in a previous commercial. But this time Cena surprises unsuspecting bathroom-goers, aggressively encouraging the startled civilians to take the Gillette ProGlide Challenge. Once the sense of shock clears, the men in the room mimic Cena’s aggression, even shouting louder than the Superstar himself. Seeing Cena’s WWE character transplanted into everyday life, and how regular people just can’t help but play along with him, is what makes this commercial a hilarious standout.
#2: The Champ Is Here!!!
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“Parks and Recreation” (2009-15) Cena’s known as a great closer for the WWE, so he was recruited to help “Parks and Recreation” close out its final season. In the episode “The Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show,” his real-life self is invited to Andy’s public access show. While Cena thinks he’s there to entertain kids, he’s quickly arrested for allegedly stealing Johnny Karate’s $900 million guitar. Since he’s the only person not aware it’s staged, Cena’s continued confusion amid borderline torture helps make this a sidesplitting sendoff to Andy’s show. It’s hilarious performances like this that helped Cena build a successful career outside the ring.
#1: All The Peacemaker
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“Peacemaker” (2022-) Considering it’s believed Dave Bautista was the first choice for the role, Cena stepped into Peacemaker’s boots and knocked it out of the park. From his first appearance in 2021’s “The Suicide Squad,” the writing was on the wall that he could balance action, comedy, and heart-wrenching moments. When the TV show began, Cena could stretch his comedic muscles from the outset with the quirky dance intro. One highlight involved Peacemaker ranting about Batman being ineffective. When he confronts Steve for putting his father in prison, Peacemaker goes off with a massive and confusing list of names who could’ve been there instead. It included Doug the Pug, BTS, and the “Riverdale” cast. This was reportedly improvised, making Cena even more of a genius. Which wrestler has made the greatest switch from the ring to Hollywood? John Cena? Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson? Dave Bautista? “Rowdy” Roddy Piper? Or someone else? Let us know below!
