John Cena will return to ‘Smackdown Live’ on December 27th. (WWE)
WWE superstar John Cena may be days away from becoming a 16-time WWE World Champion.
The 39-year-old professional wrestler is currently engaged in a feud with AJ Styles on SmackDown Live, and the two of them will have a title match at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view on Sunday. This comes after two big years for Cena, during which he starred in several hit films like Trainwreck and even got to host Saturday Night Live. He’s starting to have so much success outside of the WWE that on SmackDown Live, his fellow superstars have been accusing him of being the next Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, someone who has his foot out the door and prefers a Hollywood career to a wrestling one. Of course, that’s just how the on-screen characters feel, and in reality, Cena is widely respected in the industry and by fans, even if they sometimes complain about his character’s storyline.
So just how wealthy is John Cena at this point? How does his net worth and salary compare to some of his coworkers? Here’s what you need to know.
1. He’s Worth About $35 Million
John Cena enters the ring at SummerSlam 2015. (Getty)
The most recent information available is that John Cena’s net worth is approximately $35 million per year.
This number comes from a Men’s Health profile published in May 2016. In the magazine article, Cena doesn’t confirm an exact number, but he says that the money he is making does not compare to his police officer brother.
“My brother is a 25-year cop,” Cena said. “Every day he takes his life into his own hands when he puts on the Kevlar. He’s not getting the same paycheck I am, but he loves what he does. He protects the streets every single day. That’s what I’m grateful for.”
For comparison, AJ Styles is worth $5 million, Randy Orton is worth $15 million, Stone Cold Steve Austin is worth $45 million, and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is worth $185 million.
2. He Makes Nearly $10 Million a Year From WWE
John Cena will confront AJ Styles and Dean Ambrose tonight on SmackDown. (WWE.com)
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported last year that John Cena is “closing in on $10 million per year” just from WWE, according to PWPIX.net.
This annual salary does not count the money Cena makes from his other ventures, including his film and television appearances. In 2015, for instance, Cena starred in Amy Schumer’s movie Trainwreck, which made $140 million at the box office, according to Box Office Mojo.
John Cena’s next movie is The Wall, an Iraq war film directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) that hits theaters in March 2017.
3. He’s the Highest Paid Wrestler in the WWE
John Cena and Nikk Bella attend WWE’s 2014 SuperStars For Kids at the New Orleans Museum of Art on April 3, 2014. (Getty)
With that $10 million per year figure, John Cena is believed to be the highest paid wrestler in World Wrestling Entertainment.
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter confirmed this last year when asked if Brock Lesnar is the highest paid person on the roster; Meltzer responded by saying that that title belongs to John Cena.
Few within the wrestling community would argue that Cena doesn’t deserve his hefty paycheck, and he’s known to be an incredibly hard worker who is passionate about what he does. Dave Meltzer said in a recent episode of Wrestling Observer Radio that Cena could easily get away with working a more limited schedule but he chooses not to.
“John could do whatever he wants,” Meltzer said. “John could not work house shows easily if he wanted to and there’d be no fuss about it at all. He’s very, very loyal to the company, so when he’s around, he does the full schedule.”
4. His Girlfriend Nikki Bella Has an Estimated Net Worth of $1.5 Million
Nikki Bella makes her return to SmackDown on August 23rd’s show. (WWE.com)
Less information is available about the finances of Nikki Bella, John Cena’s girlfriend, but her net worth is currently estimated to be about $1.5 million.
John Cena and Nikki Bella have been dating since November 2012. Cena was previously married to Elizabeth Huberdeau, but the two divorced in 2012. As chronicled on the reality series Total Divas, the main reason John and Nikki aren’t married is because Nikki wants to have children and John doesn’t.
Cena told Bella on an episode of Total Divas, “Would I love to marry you? Absolutely. I love you…What I’m afraid of, and this is the one thing I’m very much afraid of, if we were to get married tomorrow, and then you come to the conclusion that you want children, you know where I stand. In no way would I ask you to sacrifice anything for me.”
5. He Lives with Nikki Bella in Tampa, Florida
John Cena and Nikki Bella own a home in Tampa, Florida, and while the price of it is not known, it was clearly not cheap.
As seen on Total Divas, the house is quite large, featuring a giant walk-in closet, a pool, and an elevator. When Brie Bella and Daniel Bryan stayed with John Cena and Nikki Bella at their Tampa home, it took them some time to adjust to the lavish environment.
“When I wake up in the morning and see this home, I’m like wow,” Brie Bella said on Total Divas. “This is definitely an extravagant lifestyle, and something [Daniel Bryan] and I aren’t used to.”
She went on to say that Nikki and John’s guest house alone is way nicer than her own apartment.