John Cena is quickly establishing himself as a massive movie star, but World Wrestling Entertainment still take a percentage of his earnings outside of the ring.
Cena made his WWE debut in 2002 and became the face of the company. His total of 16 world championships means he's tied with Ric Flair for the most recognised world title reigns in wrestling history.
He starred in WWE Studios production The Marine in 2006, which earned 'The Leader of the Cenation' critical acclaim.
The 45-year-old would take more acting gigs the further he got into his career. Since 2017, he's been a part-time performer in the WWE, making special appearances throughout the year.
Cena's gone on to star in Bumblebee, the Fast and Furious franchise, The Suicide Squad and the spin-off TV show Peacemaker. Did you know the WWE is profiting off all of that? Check out Cena explaining the logistics below.
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Because he made his WWE debut using his birth name, the company own the trademark he's since gone on to make a fortune in acting with.
As a result, founder and former chairman Vince McMahon gets a cut from every movie Cena's been in. He delved deep into WWE's ownership of his name during an episode of The Howard Stern Show several years ago.
When asked if he was bothered about it, Cena, who was WWE Champion at the time, immediately replied: "Absolutely not."
He added: "Howard, before this I was a kid in a small Massachusetts town mowing lawns for a golf course. I don't mind kicking a percentage of my earnings to the person who gave me a chance and an opportunity.
"If anything that's a sign of respect, I owe that guy a lot. I'm absolutely grateful. He's owns what's know as intellectual property."
Cena's net worth is currently $80 million. He probably sees giving the company that helped him achieve worldwide superstardom a bit of cash as no big deal.
WWE previously owned The Rock, although Dwayne Johnson owns the rights to the name after taking them from Vince McMahon.
Dave Bautista used the stage name Batista during his wrestling career which means he does not fall into the same bracket as Cena.
Journalist Tom Colohue previously explained: "To cite an example, the WWE owns the name John Cena and that is John Cena’s actual name. That means whenever John Cena is filming, whenever he is credited in a film, the WWE gets a pay cut. They get a cut of the profits.
"There are some people currently working for the WWE whose names are owned by the WWE. I don’t know who, I don’t have a distinctive list. I haven’t read everybody’s contract but those people know who they are."
Cena returned to WWE on Friday, defeating Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn alongside tag partner Kevin Owens on an episode of SmackDown.
Featured Image Credit: Alamy & WWE
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