10 Fascinating Backstage WWE Facts About John Cena
7. His Rapper Gig Was Meant To Be One Off
WWE didn’t have long-term plans to turn Cena into a rapper on-screen when he dressed as Vanilla Ice for some throwaway backstage skits on SmackDown's Halloween special in 2002. That, ladies and gents, was supposed to be a one-off time-killing exercise, but it'd come to reshape John's entire company career.
Creative were impressed by his rap skills during the episode, and they decided to roll with it. Cena didn't need much encouragement to throw his weight behind the idea - he'd already been entertaining the roster by rapping on tour buses, and likely knew this was his chance to carve out a niche on TV.
It worked.
This also goes to show how vital it is that wrestlers seize the moment. Cena was fairly directionless (and bland, being honest) before the rapping persona landed on his lap. He ran with it, WWE experimented, and then John became one of the biggest stars in the biz.