Two men with impressive physiques in WWE go head-to-head at Wrestlepalooza on Saturday night. John Cena and Brock Lesnar both have massive bodies and are easily the company’s strongest wrestlers out there. It appears that they still hit the gym regularly.
Both Cena and Lesnar come from a football background. Cena put in time as a bodybuilder for a few years before turning to wrestling. He even worked at a gym during this period. Lesnar had it more raw than Cena before his WWE career. He was an amateur wrestler and MMA fighter. Did you know that the Beast Incarnate even had a UFC run?
Lesnar is certainly a better-trained fighter than Cena, but the latter’s bodybuilding background puts him no less than Lesnar. So, when you raise the question of who is stronger, you may also have to specify under what conditions. Here we break it down for you.
Comparing John Cena’s Gym Strength vs Brock Lesnar’s Raw Power
How strong is John Cena? We will have to look at his gym stats to determine his strength. Now, Cena is just 6’1″ in height and 250 lbs in weight. He is certainly not the biggest guy in the company. But the Cenation Leader has surprised fans more than once inside the ring.
Fans would remember him carrying Big Show and Edge on his shoulders at WrestleMania XXV in 2009. Now, these two wrestlers together weighed nearly 700 lbs, which is almost thrice his body weight. When it comes to lifts, Cena just might beat his rival, Brock Lesnar. Here are the stats (via The Barbell):
According to EssentiallySports, Lesnar reportedly did a bench press at around 655 lbs. This came as no surprise because Lesnar grew up on a farm and lifted farm equipment to build his body. At the age of 48, The Conqueror has the following body physique stats (via Greatest Physiques):
Lesnar didn’t pursue a bodybuilding career like Cena did. He kept things more raw, and you will not see him flexing gym stats. However, you will be surprised to learn Lesnar’s athletic stats when he participated in the 2004 NFL Scouting Combine. Here are his stats from back then (via Joker Mag):
These numbers were impressive, beating some of the prominent NFL players out there. However, due to a motorcycle accident, Lesnar couldn’t continue the sport.
Given the data, Cena appears to have the upper hand in some areas, while Lesnar has it in the others. Let’s look at some of their power moments in WWE.
John Cena vs Brock Lesnar: Power Moments in WWE
John Cena’s biggest power move that determined his strength would be his ring moment with Big Show and Edge. His WrestleMania fight not only got him recognized as one of the strongest wrestlers, but it also won him the World Heavyweight Championship.
Cena’s very beginning in WWE in 2002 was through a power moment that saw him toss around Kurt Angle. While it didn’t win him the challenge, it sure showed fans what they were going to witness in the next two decades. Similarly, Cena’s first big stage match at WrestleMania XX saw him take down Big Show for the United States Championship.
Beating Shawn Michaels clean at WrestleMania 23 made Cena look incredibly powerful in the ring. Another instance was when Cena came back from an injury to shock the world at the Royal Rumble 2008.
Another moment in WWE that saw Cena’s brute strength was his match with The Rock at WrestleMania XXVIII. Considered one of the greatest WrestleMania matches ever, it was a match between WWE’s most prominent man from the PG Era and an icon from the Attitude Era.
Now, Brock Lesnar’s insane strength demonstration has a playlist of its own on the WWE page. The Beast’s beginnings in the ring was by putting Hulk Hogan in a bear hug. The same year, he threw Matt Hardy into a wall during SmackDown. Such acts of physical dominance became a regular thing whenever Lesnar entered the ring.
His moves even led to accidents, including Hardcore Holly breaking his neck when Lesnar executed a powerbomb. During a Hell in a Cell match at No Mercy in 2002, Lesnar had an iconic, bloodied match with The Undertaker. In 2012, he went up against John Cena himself at Extreme Rules. Lesnar threw Cena to the ground and began pounding him.
During SummerSlam 2014, Lesnar threw Cena to his neck 16 times! It was eventually a one-sided match. Lesnar had similar dominating matches against Randy Orton and Roman Reigns after that.
Considering only their power moments in WWE, it appears Lesnar has a slight advantage over Cena in terms of brute strength.
What Did WWE Legends Have to Say on the Cena vs. Lesnar Debate?
Both John Cena and Brock Lesnar have wrestled Paul Wight, aka Big Show, in the ring. They were among the few wrestlers who could still pick up the giant star. In an interview with Chris Van Vliet, Wight was asked about the WWE wrestler whom he thought was the strongest.
Wight surprisingly picked Cena, sharing how calmly the Peacemaker actor lifted people off the ground. He also praised Lesnar, sharing that he was “the most explosive athlete” he had ever been in the ring with. Big Show shared:
Brock moves so quick it’s scary sometimes. But as far as people picking me up, nobody’s like John Cena. When Cena picks you up, it’s like you’re standing on concrete. I’ve never seen a guy so composed and so strong and when you’re up there on his shoulders, you’re not going anywhere.
Another former wrestler, Mark Henry, who was often described as the strongest man, was asked about the 3 strongest wrestlers he had been in the ring with. His first answer to interviewer Denise Salcedo‘s question was Cena. He shared:
Oh, probably Cena. Cena and Brock, and Big Show. All of them were strong in different ways. Brock athletic, explosive, strong. But John could bench 500 pounds and squat 700 pounds. That dude was strong as sh*t. Big Show was mutant strong. Like everything that he did was easier for him because he was a giant. And he worked out too.
It appears that both Wight and Henry sided with Cena when they were asked about the strongest wrestler. Lesnar did not get this one in the bag.
John Cena vs Brock Lesnar Head-to-Head Count Before Wrestlepalooza
Wrestlepalooza will be the seventh time that John Cena and Brock Lesnar officially face each other in the ring. It is also promoted as the last match between these two WWE legends. So, what happened when they went face-to-face with each other? Here are the results:
The head-to-head count currently stands at 4-2. Even a win at Wrestlepalooza wouldn’t sway this count in favor of Cena. Therefore, Lesnar has the upper hand when it comes to their head-to-head matches in WWE.
Now, we promised a definitive answer. But when it comes to such legendary wrestlers, there is simply no definitive answer. However, when we consider these factors, Lesnar appears to be the stronger one than Cena.
Do you agree with this conclusion? Let us know in the comments below!
Wrestlepalooza will be available for live streaming on September 20 from 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT on ESPN (for US-based fans) or on Netflix (for international fans).
