As John Cena prepares for one of the most highly anticipated matches of his career at WrestleMania 41, he’s also stepping into a very different spotlight—raising awareness about skin cancer and sun protection.
In a new interview with PEOPLE, Cena opened up about his personal battle with skin cancer while promoting his partnership with Neutrogena for their “Sunscreen You Can’t See” campaign.
“I was stubborn. I didn’t want to have a routine and I also thought the problem would never reach me,” Cena admitted. “It’s one of those things where I had a ton of exposure with minimal protection—and it caught up with me.”
Cena revealed that it wasn’t until he visited a dermatologist that he learned the seriousness of the issue.
“It wasn’t until I got a skin checkup and had a cancerous spot removed from my right pec. I was very lucky to have a great dermatologist who kind of, I guess for lack of a better term, held me by the hand and let me know that I wasn’t alone. The stats on this are overwhelming… but the best way to hammer home a point is human-to-human connection.”
He continued with a powerful warning about how unpredictable the diagnosis can be:
“Man, that phone call’s not what you want to get because it is unpredictable and you don’t know how bad it’s going to be.”
A year after his initial diagnosis, Cena said he had another spot removed, this time near his right shoulder:
“It shows up like a white polka dot on the side of my chest and on my shoulder. If you watch WWE, you’ll be able to see them.”
The WWE icon, actor, and now health advocate emphasized the importance of routine skincare and sun protection, especially for those frequently exposed to the sun. His partnership with Neutrogena aims to break the stigma and raise awareness about invisible sun damage.
Cena will also appear on Monday’s edition of WWE RAW, continuing his build toward the Undisputed WWE Championship match against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41.
