Domination: the Oxford Dictionary defines domination as, “the exercise of control or influence over someone or something.” In my opinion no one has ever quite dominated the entertainment world like John Cena. His wrap sheet is quite extensive with 23 years of professional wrestling, over 50 acting roles and the title for most wishes granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
John Cena has held a steadfast place in the entertainment world for close to three decades now, and with his recent retirement from WWE, it would be a good time to look back on his success compared to his biggest rival Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The Rock was another WWE wrestler turned Hollywood superstar, but his legacy after WWE is seen in a different light than Cena’s. The Rock gained notoriety with his action and comedy roles similar to Cena, but he would sometimes take the role too far and his ego would shine through.
An IMDB report claims that multiple sources have reported a signed contract The Rock made with his producer which forbids him from ever losing an on screen fight or getting pummeled too hard in a scene. This along with The Rock’s narcissistic demeanor pushed him away from the public’s view and boiled him down to just another Hollywood meathead.
Cena, on the other hand, has never let his ego take over and has played a multitude of roles no matter how he is depicted on stage. Cena is overall seen in more of a positive light due to his down to earth personality and relatability. Cena always chalks his success up to luck and rarely brags about riches or fame. He is often seen in interviews and live streams giving advice and life guidance.
Another interesting rivalry between the two superstars is their affiliation with DC. In October of 2022, The Rock starred in “Black Adam,” an overall unsuccessful DC movie aimed to center the already failing DC universe around The Rock.
It was revealed earlier that in April of 2022 The Rock had attempted to take over and revive the DC universe by pitching a multiyear long plan to slowly his way to the top of Warner Bros. His attempted take over included lies about returning stars like Henry Cavill and self-centered monologues about his character. Due to the flop of “Black Adam,” his plan never succeeded.
Funnily enough, less than a year before this, John Cena made his debut in the DC universe. In Suicide Squad, Cena starred as Peace Maker and gained a cult-like fanbase along with a television series. After the failure of the DC universe, James Gunn took over almost full creative direction, and cannonized only Suicide Squad and Peace Maker from the previous cinematic universe. In the blink of an eye The Rock was cast away from DC and Cena became one of the figure heads of the new DC cinematic universe.
It seems like overall Cena has a more flourishing career than The Rock. He drew in the die hard fans while The Rock mustered up a crowd of people who are not as dug into the fan base.
