People take Cena for granted. He's not the chosen one people think he is. He worked just as hard as anyone to get where he is and in late 2002, he was on the verge of release. He was seen as one of Heyman's boys, and a bland one at that. If Stephanie McMahon hadn't seen him rapping one day, we might not have the biggest star of our generation.
But that's not the only hardship Cena's had to deal with. Fate came pretty close to taking Cena from us before he could make any mark on the wrestling world. To explain, I cite John Cena's 2005 ballad "If It All Ended Tomorrow":
I want ya'll to feel the wound, its the truth in my words
I been quiet for too long, the truth should be heard
It was a while back, 10:20 in the morn'
Kat should up on my lawn in the rug-ed uniform
As you can see here, this is difficult. So read what follows with the most non-judgemental of eyes. As with rape victims, people in Cena's situation do need to be heard.
It was 10:20ish in the morning when this happened. A man looking rugged and unsettled showed up on his lawn. No problem. The Champ wasn't, and isn't, a grumpy old man. He rolled with it.
And...
Unexpected, theres a knock on my door
I met this fool in the club, I don' see him before
Open to great him, but the second he sees me
His eyes buckle, his voice is uneasy
For all Cena knows, this man could be shy. Sometimes when speaking to women, my eyes buckle. When I was in highschool and had to speak in front of the class, my voice was uneasy. Often uneven. This is nothing uncommon. Cena knows this. The Champ is an understanding Champ.
But it's cool, I didn't even catch it at first
I check his shoulder, homie's rockin a purse
Now I know something's tricky, but I'm already sittin down
Homie pipes up, you should hear what he's spittin out
Cena's put himself in a compromising position by sitting down before checking the man for a weapon. In Cena's world, this is a major problem.
He's going to explain himself. He's saying something The Champ finds laughable.
Says I've been sleepin wit his wifey
And he ain't the type of kat to take that shit lightly
I made a move and he told me homie wait
Reached in his purse pulled a chrome 38
He asked me if I'm ready to die
Said he was gonna pull my brains all over the sky
Said he was leavin the country, and he was straight with the passports
Cocked the hammer, I'm thinkin my last thoughts
No disrespect to Mr. Slaughter. I'm sure being an Iraqi sympathizer in the 1990s was a dangerous lifestyle. But to people who will use that to illustrate Slaughter's toughness, I beg of you not to disrespect the experiences of The Champ. He was just doing him, and this is what he got for it in his world. He could have stopped at any time, but that's NOT who John Cena is. He never sacrificed who he was. Not in the face of this, and not ever.
I'm in a bad way, nothin could save this.
I close my eyes hopin it's painless
Just waitin for the sound, ready to swallow too
But homie havin trouble with his follow through
By a miracle, I avoid the chalk ground
Homie's confused, he just wanna be talked down
His wife is sleepin through town and he knew it
Picked me outta the crowd but couldn't do it
I know that was tense. You may now breath a sigh of relief.
Just lost it, and as he's walkin away
I realize life is short so I'm markin the day
Now it's full speed ahead, I'll rest when I'm dead
And I could give a Fuck what the next man said
I live how I wanna live
Buy what I wanna buy
Do what I wanna do
Try What I wanna try
Fear nothin, take chances
Not afraid to fail, always makin advances
So when I ride on the Grim Reaper Highway
No regrets bitch, I did it my way
Remember this next time you chastise Cena for his lifestyle. You haven't had the life changing experiences he's had, the character defining experiences he's had.
It's these kinds of experiences that, in my opinion, give Cena a greater mental toughness and appreciation of what's in front of him than Slaugher. Mentally, Cena wins this before it begins.
