John Cena has been wrestling professionally for about 26 years.
Start of career
John Cena began training for professional wrestling in California in 1998 with Ultimate Pro Wrestling, adopting the persona “The Prototype.” His professional debut is generally dated to late 1999, when he started working regular indie matches for UPW.
Duration up to now
Counting from his professional start in 1999 through his announced retirement from in-ring competition in late 2025, Cena’s active wrestling career spans roughly 26 years. During that time he wrestled primarily for WWE from 2001 onward, becoming one of the company’s longest-running top stars.