Is John Cena Taking A Break From WWE To Be On ‘Celebrity Apprentice’?
His name is a million dollar brand all by itself, but does John Cena have the business savvy to win The Celebrity Apprentice?
News broke earlier this month about John Cena leaving WWE for a short period of time following the Hell in a Cell event that took place last Sunday. Since that time, fans have been speculating as to what Cena will be doing with his time off. After unexpectedly losing to Alberto Del Rio in quick fashion, and WWE barely acknowledging the situation on Monday Night Raw, there’s no doubt that the IWC (“Internet Wrestling Community”) will be asking if doing a reality show is what lured John away.
If you’re somehow unfamiliar with who John Cena is and why it matters if he leaves WWE, let’s take a look at some numbers. As Wrestling Inc has reported, John Cena sells more merchandise for WWE than anyone else — five times as much as the next guy. That’s not something a billion dollar corporation takes lightly. And since Cena’s salary is $2.75 million, you know that the WWE puts a lot of faith in him to help sell their product.
At first, many fans assumed that the leader of the Cenation must be taking time off to get married to long-time girlfriend, and fellow WWE performer, Nikki Bella. That rumor was essentially shut down right away. But Nikki did see a resurgence of popularity within WWE as she starred in Total Divas. Maybe her boyfriend thinks a reality show could help further his own brand, as well.
John Cena and his girlfriend Nikki Bella at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony
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?#divas?? pic.twitter.com/Oqg9ERxa73— Brie Bella Fun (@wweBellatWinsMe) October 28, 2015
Unfortunately, the timing doesn’t quite work out for Cena’s break to coincide with taping The Celebrity Apprentice, which isn’t scheduled to be back on TV until late next year.
Nonetheless, as an unnamed source told Hollywood Life, NBC wants John Cena for Celebrity Apprentice when the show begins a new season with Arnold Schwarzenegger. The pairing of WWE’s John Cena with NBC’s Celebrity Apprentice and “The Governator” makes sense on a few different levels. WWE and Schwarzenegger have had a long, healthy working relationship. Just two days ago, WWE 2K16 was released, and members of the WWE Universe that thought ahead and pre-ordered will be able to play as Arnold. In fact, Schwarzenegger has working with WWE on camera for more than fifteen years.
Obviously, NBC will want to try to bring some big names to the show. In the past, The Celebrity Apprentice has seen such competitors as Joan Rivers, James Busey, Clay Aiken, and former pro wrestling icon Bill Goldberg. And when you’re talking WWE, there’s no bigger name than John Cena. He’s a household name that’s comfortable in front of any sort of camera (from Monday Night Raw to SportsCenter to Trainwreck), and when combined with his competitive nature, it’s seems like a perfect fit for the reality game show.
And let’s not forget that WWE’s Monday Night Raw airs on the USA Network (and will be joined next year by WWE’s SmackDown), which is owned by Comcast. The Celebrity Apprentice airs on NBC, also owned by Comcast. It just seems to make sense.
Hollywood Life just broke the story late last night. Since that time, no other sources have come forward to confirm or deny the rumors. WWE has not made any official statement through their website or any of their many social media channels.
NBC has not yet set a date for the premiere of The Celebrity Apprentice, Season 15. But if John Cena decides to join for the first season of Apprentice with host Arnold Schwarzenegger, it won’t be until the 2016-17 television season.
[Image credit Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images]
