WWE Hall of Famer Recalls John Cena’s Unusual Diet Early in His Career
Despite being recognized as a fixture in the wrestling and fitness industries, John Cena made an odd dietary decision early in his career, per WWE Hall of Famer.
![John Cena at a WWE Show. Image Credits: Getty Images Getty](https://www.pinkvilla.com/images/2024-07/785708119_jccc-1.jpg)
John Cena undeniably has one of the most sought-after physiques in WWE. His strength and physique are a testament to his hard work in the gym and strict diet. Strangely enough, though, John Cena had a peculiar dietary regimen early in his career.
During a recent interview, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry shared an amusing anecdote about John Cena’s strange dietary habits, particularly during his OVW days.
Surprisingly, John Cena, who had set out to be a bodybuilder before stumbling upon wrestling, preferred drinking a lot of diet soda over water.
Mark Henry humorously reflects on John Cena’s poor diet early in his career
Besides pro wrestling, John Cena is a revered name in the fitness industry. The Leader of the Cenation was even featured on the cover of Men’s Fitness magazine during the peak of his career. However, only Mark Henry is aware of the dietary errors John Cena made in the early stages of his wrestling career.
While speaking with Denise Salcedo, Mark Henry reflected on his initial interaction with John Cena during the latter’s time in OVW. According to Henry, Cena rode with him on his first day in OVW.
But what surprised Henry was Cena’s bizarre diet. Unsure whether Cena was preparing for a bodybuilding competition, Henry recalled that Cena refused to drink water for a week.
Henry told Denise Salcedo: “He was not drinking water for a week. The only thing he drank was Diet Mountain Dew. I was shocked.”
Naturally, Henry emphasized to Cena the importance of drinking water for hydration. Moreover, drinking too much diet soda instead of water can increase the risk of heart disease and various other illnesses.
Despite Henry’s advice, John Cena stuck to his preference for diet soda. Henry further recalled, stating, "I was like, 'Man, you need to drink some water.' [Cena says] 'Nah, this makes me pee. If I drink water I'mma hold it.' And I was like, 'Listen, man, the human body does not run on Diet Mountain Dew.”
With age and experience, Cena realized that preferring soda over water was a bad choice. However, his early interaction with Henry led to humorous exchanges between the two over the years.
Henry enjoys pulling Cena’s leg by reminding him of days he drank Mountain Dew instead of water. Cena even admits that he was callow to think his diet was healthy.
Nonetheless, John Cena is in the home stretch of his in-ring career, as he recently announced he is preparing to go on a retirement tour to cap off his career.
WWE has already started discussions about his potential opponents for the last leg of his career. Anyway, the next stage in John Cena’s wrestling career is crucial, with WrestleMania 41 set to mark the end of an era.
Mark Henry names John Cena and two other stars as the strongest wrestlers he faced
It’s no secret that Mark Henry is a genuine World's Strongest Man. This makes him well-qualified to judge a person’s strength. That said, according to Henry, John Cena is one of the strongest opponents he faced during his career.
Further, during the interview with Denise Salcedo, Henry listed three names that he believed were the strongest opponents he had faced. His picks included John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Big Show.
Read More: Ex-WWE Champion Hopeful for Rematch With John Cena After Iconic Rivalry in 2006
The Hall of Famer pointed out how each of them was differently strong. Brock Lesnar possessed explosive strength, the Big Show was genetically strong, and Cena displayed stability and physical strength, particularly in his ability to lift heavy weights, per Henry.
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