What’s the story?

John Cena is a Superstar all over the world. He wasn’t at Monday Night Raw this week because he was touring China while spreading WWE’s goodwill.

While on his tour, he spoke with South China Morning Post in Shenzhen, China, where he discussed what makes his “never give up” catchphrase more than just something to put on a t-shirt.

In case you didn’t know…

John Cena has been using the “never give up” slogan for a long time. He has not only sold a ton of rally towels in the process but Cena has also inspired millions of people all over the world to never give up in the face of their greatest challenges.

Fans watched John Cena compete against ferocious foes for years and he takes his mantra of not letting adversity stop him very seriously. He will be the first to say someone should rise above hate and keep pressing on to be the best they can be. This is one of the reasons why John Cena is so money.

The heart of the matter

Big Match John had a chance to speak to South China Morning Post about his iconic catchphrase where he explained the reason why it caught on so much was the universal message it portrayed and the fact he led by example.
“It’s not something that I try to force people to understand. Those three words are led by example and led by action.”
He also discussed how much it meant to him that he is such a positive influence on so many people’s lives. But even though WWE’s fan base in China might be expanding it still doesn’t mean everybody will love Cena and he realizes that fact. After all, it’s still a 50/50 split of positive and negative reactions in most places he goes.

“It’s a great feeling to be able to check in and go to work and aside from calling it your job, to be able to affect people’s lives. If I can do both, I’m a super happy dude. I think the more fans in China that resonate with the WWE product, the more will like me and the more won’t like me. It’s the same everywhere.”

What’s next

As WWE expands to claim the entire planet as their playground John Cena’s message of endurance will remain a focus of the product.

But just like in the United States, there will always be a portion of the crowd who will mean it when they chant “John Cena sucks” along with his famous theme song.

Author’s take

John Cena is one of the hardest working men on the planet. I can’t imagine having his schedule, and I don’t know when he sleeps.

With his jet-setting lifestyle of traveling from project to promotion to speaking engagement, I honestly don’t know how he keeps doing it at this point. One thing’s for sure, John Cena has to live by his own advice to “never give up” while he’s keeping his ridiculously demanding schedule.