It was at a WWE event in the mid-2000s that Kris Chambers, a Toronto native and active independent wrestler, first crossed paths with a legend.
As Chambers — working as an extra that night — grabbed some food at the catering table, he found himself face-to-face with a towering figure: six-foot-one and 251 pounds of pure muscle.
Chambers couldn’t help but notice the man’s forearms were almost as big as his own legs. He was in awe of the professional wrestler who was, in every sense, “larger than life.”
But this wasn’t just any wrestler. It was the World Wrestling Entertainment champion. It was John Cena.
“You could really understand why he was destined to be a star,” Chambers says.
Cena returned to Toronto for Saturday’s “Elimination Chamber” at the Rogers Centre, his final WWE event in the city, his impact on the local wrestling community is undeniable.
His merchandise flooded the Rogers Centre gates. Bellows of “Let’s go Cena!” rang throughout the night. The city had fully embraced the WWE icon, welcoming him with open arms.
And in the lead-up to the event, Cena made sure to say thanks.
“One of the most important things I’ve learned in my career is whether the WWE is hot or cold, Canadians show up, always,” the 47-year-old Cena said when he announced his retirement tour here this past summer.
“This is the perfect place to (announce my farewell) … which also involves me returning to Toronto to kick some ass.”
A defining moment of his career came at WWE’s “Unforgiven” in 2006, at what is now Scotiabank Arena.
In the main event, Cena faced Orangeville’s Adam (Edge) Copeland, who was billed as the villain. Cena, traditionally the hero, threw Copeland from atop a ladder through two tables to claim the victory. But the crowd, loyal to the Canadian underdog, turned on Cena. Boos rained down. Chants of “Cena sucks!” echoed.
It marked a pivotal time in Cena’s career, as he transitioned from lovable fan favourite to bad guy in the eyes of an older generation of fans — despite cheers from the youngsters.
“That entire arena booed him out of the building,” says wrestling aficionado Santiago Zapata of London, Ont. “And then those boos just carried with him for the rest of his career wherever he would go. It was no longer a universal love.”
Zapata was at that event with his sister. At the time, he was just 13 and still adored Cena. That fandom waned until 2021, when the wrestler/actor returned to WWE after a long hiatus.
Now, watching events is Zapata’s full-time job. He uploads daily wrestling content to several platforms and has accumulated over a million followers in just a few years. The background in his videos is typically adorned with Cena memorabilia.
“It’s just interesting to connect my current career trajectory to that kid in 2006 at ‘Unforgiven,’ chanting: ‘Let’s go Cena!,’ ” Zapata said.
While Cena’s success as a pro wrestler (16-time champion, tied for most all-time) and profile as an actor (in movies such as “Trainwreck” and “The Suicide Squad”) put him in the spotlight, his footprint goes beyond the squared circle. His most significant impact may have been inspiring youth.
Whitby’s Nolani Belford, 22, and his mom once had up-close seats for a WWE live event at Coca-Cola Coliseum. Belford, 10 at the time, went decked out in Cena merchandise. He recalls cheering and waving a Cena shirt when the wrestler emerged and briefly locking eyes with the icon, who gave him a signature salute.
“My life was made at that point,” says Belford. “I had to go to school and tell all my friends that John Cena saluted at me … To this day, I still remember it vividly.”
Like Zapata, Belford started to lose interest in wrestling over the years until Cena’s WWE return in 2021. Now, Belford is a professional wrestler himself, known as Dior Nolins, and dreams of making it to the WWE. He has wrestled across North America, most often with Toronto-based Superkick’d, owned by Chambers.
“Cena motivated and inspired them like a bigger brother or a father figure,” Chambers says. “He’s showing people that there’s a way to accomplish your dreams.”
Cena also holds the Guinness World Record for wishes granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, with 650 — double the next-highest number by a celebrity.
Toronto cards have shaped the careers of many other top wrestlers, including William (Christian Cage) Reso, Patricia (Trish Stratus) Stratigeas and Rocky Johnson, father of Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson — who says his greatest bout was the memorable “Icon vs. Icon” match against Hulk Hogan in “WrestleMania X8” in 2002, the last time the WWE had an event at the Rogers Centre.
At “Elimination Chamber,” Cena bested five competitors to earn a spot in the main event of his last “WrestleMania.”
The Rogers Centre’s 38,493-strong crowd showered him with cheers, even as Cena turned “heel” — became a villain — for the first time in 20 years. He battered WWE champion Cody Rhodes — considered this generation’s Cena — to close the show, just like he did with Copeland at ‘“Unforgiven” in 2006. But it didn’t matter to the crowd.
The city that had once rejected him years ago still gave the wrestling icon a heartfelt send-off.
“It’s a full-circle moment,” Belford says. “It’s just an amazing way to close that chapter and for the people of Toronto to say goodbye to a legend.”
