How Chris Bell Discovered John Cena Before WWE Fame

TL;DR

Chris Bell and his brother Mark met John Cena when he was a 22-year-old with cartoon-like arms, brought him to his first wrestling class, and pointed him toward the sport. Within four months WWE signed Cena. Bell later directed 'Bigger, Stronger, Faster,' which earned praise from Vince McMahon, The Rock, and Cena himself.

Transcript

Were you a ringider? I was a ringider. It's amazing. Yeah. I have a um a good buddy of mine, my friend Mark, who uh is a huge wrestling fan. He actually used to be a wrestler when he was younger and was trying out for the WWE. And he brought me to WrestleMania in New Orleans a few years ago. And then like whenever he gets like dope ringside tickets... Read More

Key Insights

• John Cena was discovered through an odd coincidence: a coworker named Casey introduced him to Chris and Mark, saying he was buff like them, and he walked in at 22 with arms so big he looked like a cartoon character.
• Chris Bell's brother Mad Dog was one of John Cena's first wrestling trainers, alongside Tom Howard, while Mark served as Cena's on-screen nemesis and Chris wrote the storylines for the company UPW.
• Speed of ascent defined Cena's career: within four months of his first wrestling class, WWE scouts saw him and signed him, illustrating how quickly the right look and personality can break through.
• Chris Bell worked briefly as a WWE writer after Cena brought him in, but his six-month contract ended because the company only listened to head writers, giving non-head writers no real chance.
• Vince McMahon personally called Chris after 'Bigger, Stronger, Faster,' saying Bell had expressed everything McMahon always wanted to say about steroids in a unique and fun way.
• Real wrestling economics are brutal: outside stars like John Cena, wrestlers like Mad Dog performed for as little as 50 dollars a night in front of tiny crowds, a stark contrast to arena fame.
• Mark left wrestling for powerlifting despite Chris warning there was no money in it, yet by turning it into a business Mark earned more than he likely would have made in wrestling.
• WWE rejected Mark because at barely six feet and 210 pounds he lacked the super-jacked 'John Cena' look scouts wanted, even though he excelled at wrestling and cutting promos.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Chris Bell discover John Cena?

A coworker named Casey, who worked in the office at a company where Chris and Mark moved fitness equipment, said they had to meet her friend John because he was buff and would get along with them. When John walked in, his arms were gigantic and he looked like a cartoon character. It was John Cena at 22, before he became famous. Chris and Mark befriended him and pushed him toward wrestling.

Q: Who trained John Cena when he started wrestling?

Chris Bell brought John Cena into his first-ever wrestling class. Chris's older brother, Mad Dog, was one of Cena's first trainers along with another guy named Tom Howard. Mark served as Cena's nemesis in the storylines, and Chris himself wrote the storylines for the wrestlers at a company called UPW. Chris says fans can probably still find old matches online of Mark wrestling Cena from that era.

Q: How quickly did John Cena get signed to WWE?

According to Chris Bell, John Cena rose extremely fast. After being pointed toward wrestling and joining his first class, within four months he was signed to the WWE. Chris said scouts came in, saw him, and immediately said they wanted that guy. Bell describes Cena as one of those rare people you can instantly tell is destined for it, based on his look and personality, and Cena took the opportunity and ran with it.

Q: What was Chris Bell's experience working as a WWE writer?

John Cena brought Chris Bell into the WWE as a writer, but he did not last long. At the time WWE was going through writers rapidly, and Bell was given a six-month contract that simply ended. The main reason it did not work out was that WWE had head writers and only listened to them, so if you were not a head writer, you did not stand a chance of having your ideas heard. Bell says he did not take it harshly.

Q: How did Vince McMahon react to 'Bigger, Stronger, Faster'?

Chris Bell initially thought Vince McMahon was calling to file a lawsuit because the movie used a lot of WWE footage. Instead, McMahon told Bell that he had said everything McMahon always wanted to say about steroids, and that he said it so wonderfully, in a unique and fun way. McMahon congratulated him on making a great movie. The Rock and John Cena also called Bell with praise after the film's release.

Q: Why did WWE not sign Chris Bell's brother Mark?

Mark was really good at wrestling and cutting promos, but at the time WWE was not looking for someone barely six feet tall and around 210 pounds. They wanted the super-jacked look exemplified by John Cena. Even though Mark looked good, especially before he got on steroids when he was natural, he just did not have the massive cartoon-like physique scouts wanted. He later gave up wrestling for powerlifting.

Q: What happened when Mark switched from wrestling to powerlifting?

When Mark gave up wrestling for powerlifting, Chris Bell was skeptical, telling him there was no money in powerlifting and he would never make it. However, Mark turned powerlifting into a business, and according to Chris, he ended up making probably more money in powerlifting than he ever would have made if he had gone into wrestling. It reflects how monetizing a niche can outperform chasing a crowded, high-glamour path.

Q: What is the financial reality of professional wrestling outside of stars?

Chris Bell describes the harsh economics of wrestling. Outside of top stars like John Cena, most wrestlers earn very little. He recounts his brother Mad Dog, who once wrestled in front of large crowds, later performing in front of only about 50 people and getting paid around 50 bucks a night. Bell notes there are very few John Cenas, underscoring that the glamorous image of wrestling hides a low-paying grind for the majority.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Chris Bell recounts his web hosting marketing past, including a Hulk Hogan-themed 'Hostamania' campaign where Hogan swung on a wrecking ball in a speedo, smashing a rival figure. TMZ picked it up and it drew millions of views overnight, showing Bell's flair for viral, wrestling-tied promotion.

• The core story is discovering John Cena: through coworker Casey, Chris and Mark met a 22-year-old with gigantic arms. They brought him to his first wrestling class, where Mad Dog and Tom Howard trained him and Mark became his nemesis, before WWE signed Cena within four months.

• After a short WWE writing stint that ended because only head writers were heard, Bell made 'Bigger, Stronger, Faster.' The film earned calls from Vince McMahon, The Rock, and Cena, who flew to Los Angeles for opening night, and a producer told Bell they had fired the wrong guy.