John Cena Is A Fan Of Some Anime, Including Fist Of The North Star

Anime and pro wrestling go hand-in-hand far more than some may think. Anime's influence on pro wrestling has continued to grow over the years, with plenty of anime-inspired sets of wrestling gear from the likes of Mercedes Mone and The New Day. Furthermore, some wrestlers, like Kenny Omega, feel inspired by many animated shows and movies, something that can often be seen through their work as storytellers and in-ring competitors.

However, for some wrestlers, anime is more of a quiet hobby and isn't reflected in their stylistic choices as public figures. One case of this is 16-time WWE World Champion John Cena, who talked about his favorite anime in a recent appearance on the "Whiskey Ginger" podcast. The wrestler-turned-actor briefly mentioned his appreciation for it, something that the host found rather surprising. 

"Tell me if this is a lie or not: You like anime?" host Andrew Santino questioned. Cena responded with an immediate clarification, saying, "I like certain anime," before bringing up one of his favorites from when he was a child called "Fist of the North Star."

Cena explained why "Fist of the North Star," an anime series that aired in the 1980s, was the one anime that stuck with him growing up. "I was really drawn to post-apocalyptic stuff and I found that at the right time," Cena admitted. "I thought it was super cool, so growing up I used to watch 'Fist of the North Star' a lot."

The WWE legend went on to briefly mention just how different the medium is today than it was when he was first exposed to it. "This is a classic story of me finding anime in the mid-80s, and that's my time, then fast forward to what anime is now and me being like, 'What?'" Cena concluded.