Female star's ex-husband allegedly threatened John Cena, wrestler recalls
John Cena married Shay Shariatzadeh in 2020 after dating fellow wrestler Nikki Bella for several years. In a recent podcast episode, former WWE talent JR Ryder shared a rumor he heard about the Hollywood star and Lisa Marie Varon, aka Victoria.
Cena honed his craft in Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) between 2000 and 2002 before moving to WWE's main roster. During his early days in the business, the 47-year-old briefly dated two-time Women's Champion Victoria.
Ryder discussed Cena on the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast. He recalled how Victoria's ex-husband allegedly threatened the then-rookie with a firearm after finding out about their short-lived romance.
"Victoria's husband, I guess, found out about this," Ryder said. "I wasn't present for this. It apparently led to a firearm being stuck into the face of one John Cena. Again, this is hearsay. This is the story I heard. Somehow the story goes that he convinced her husband to let him make a phone call, and he called his father or his grandfather and talked the guy out of shooting him. And he sings about it in one of his rap songs is what I understand." [15:49 – 16:19]
In 2012, Victoria confirmed in an interview with the Wrestling Observer that she dated Cena "for about a month" in 2002. While she was married at the time, the former WWE star claimed she and her husband were separated.
John Cena's current WWE status
Since announcing his intention to retire from wrestling at the end of 2025, John Cena has made it his mission to capture a record-breaking 17th world title.
On March 1, Cena won the Men's Elimination Chamber match to earn a shot at Cody Rhodes' Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41 on April 19-20. Following his victory, the veteran wrestler attacked Rhodes and joined forces with The Rock and rapper Travis Scott.
Cena explained his villainous actions during an in-ring segment on the March 17 episode of RAW. He blamed his behavior on WWE's "toxic" fans and accused the audience of bullying him throughout his career.
Please credit the Cheap Heat Productions Podcast and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
