WWE News: John Cena Speaks About WWE, Ambition to Work Outside the WWE and 'Authenticy'
John Cena is all set to return to WWE Raw this week following his shoulder surgery but before that he spoke at the Fast Company conference held at Los Angeles this past week and spoke on a variety of topics starting from his views on the company, his intention to work outside of the WWE as well as on the idea of authenticity in entertainment. He stated what he he actually understood by authenticity, "The reason that everybody wants to attach themselves to being authentic [is] because the word 'authentic' means, pardon my French, you give a s--t. But 'authentic' is thrown around as 'think outside the box' and all the other B.S. we hear."
When asked about his career in the WWE, he said "The first question I ask myself is, do I want to do it? I think the first question a lot of folks ask themselves is, is this good business? Does it pay me a lot of money? That is short-term success in life. I know [the WWE has] half a billion social followers. I know our business model to drive more people toward the network. I know our t-shirt sales. I know our consumer fan base. I know our attendance for live events. I know we're not deep enough business-wise in China so I'm doing what I can to get us into China. I'm not just a dude who laces his shoes up and slides into the ring-I love the brand. And if I'm not active in the brand physically, I will be active in the brand mentally. And I do not align myself with properties that I don't feel that passionate about. To me, that's what being authentic is all about."
On his plans to find opportunities outside the company, he said, "As a 39-year-old adult, I certainly would love to be a bad guy or to push the limits of the broadcast, but that is not my job. My job is to work for a company that produces PG television and do the best I can. In redefining my brand, I'm looking for opportunities outside of the WWE because I realize I have to play within certain goalposts. When I came in [to the WWE] in 2002, it was more like the Jerry Springer show and now it's really a good family program. So I've had to change the tools in my toolbox and adapt to my surroundings yet stay authentic to myself. My experiences in the wrestling ring have set me up for what I'm trying to do outside."
