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John Cena Admits He Got Hench In School Because He Was Bullied

John Cena Admits He Got Hench In School Because He Was Bullied

Despite his huge frame now, he was a 'string bean' while he was growing up and that made him a target for bullies

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie

Weighing in at a whopping 114 kilograms (with plenty of that being muscle), John Felix Anthony Cena is a man that you wouldn't want to piss off. Known for finishing moves like the Attitude Adjustment, the Killswitch and the STFU, the 40-year-old has dominated the wrestling circuit since his debut in 1999.

However, Cena wasn't always this hench bloke who could snap people like twigs if he wanted to.

Credit: Crocs

The bulky wrestler opened up about his struggles after becoming a brand ambassador for Crocs in their 'Come As You Are' campaign. Yeah, plenty of people may have their opinion about the footwear brand, but the message behind this initiative is brilliant.

In the ad he says: "I remember the walk to the school bus. At the very least, five times shoved down, toppled down.

"I asked my dad, 'Is it ok if I start working out?'

"By the time I was showing up at high school, I was big. The guys who were pushing me down were kind of like, 'We cool?'

John Cena
John Cena

Credit: PA

"Never once did I ever get back at any of those guys.

"As horrible as a time that it was for me, it was a catalyst for me to find a passion of my life. Everybody goes through those moments of self-doubt and whether they're a moment or whether they're a wall that you can't climb over, Come As You Are means be authentic.

"Means don't be afraid to be who you are. I'm very emotional, as cold as I seem sometimes, I'm a sucker, I'm like stupid in love and if that doesn't make me cool then whatever - I don't want to be cool."

He was the second oldest of five brothers and yet, as he was growing up, he found it difficult to make friends.

Cena told Huffington Post: "I really never socially matched that well with kids as an adolescent or early teenager. Never once did I waver or try to conform like a group philosophy. I was always pretty much an oddball.

"I haven't really run into a lot of folks that say that they weren't bullied as a kid. Nowadays, especially with social media, there is a lot of bullying going on."

He adds that even in his wrestling career he's found himself a victim of bullying.

John Cena
John Cena

Credit: PA

"I deal with it every single day," he told CBS, "And I'm in an industry where it's heavily criticized so you have to deal with a lot of adversity.

"I think to the innocent bystander, they'll look at where I'm at and go, 'Everything's great!' But there's a lot of struggle involved, and I'm just making a conscious effort every day to be a better me."

It's hard to imagine the rock-solid John Cena would be affected by something like this, but him opening up has helped reveal that bullying can happen to anyone and can come in many different forms.

Sources: Huffington Post, CBS

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Entertainment, Celebrity, Inspirational, Interesting, Teenager, John Cena, Bullying, US Entertainment