When you get John Cena and thousands of gallons of slime on stage at once, you know it’s going to be messy.
He was one of the many A-list stars at the Nickelodeon “Kids’ Choice Awards” on Saturday at the Forum in Los Angeles. The WWE star hosted for the second consecutive year.
Also Read:John Cena on Why He Looks Up to Dwayne Johnson: ‘He’s an Anomaly’
One star Cena was excited to see was “Magic Mike” actor Channing Tatum — but not because of his acting skills. “This year, I am going to do my best to kind of dance a little bit more,” he said. “I’ve seen Channing’s moves when he dances … and they’re good, but not necessarily for kids. Maybe we can have a late show for the parents.”
With R-rated comedy “Blockers” hitting theaters April 5 and WrestleMania in New Orleans on April 8, it’s surprising Cena has time for a side gig — but he said he would’t miss “KCA” for the world.
“I’ve gotten to know Nickelodeon as a brand. They embrace what it means to be a kid and I think that’s very special,” he told TheWrap. “It is the same energy you get from a WWE event.
“The hilarity of the show doesn’t rely on the host but it rests on the host’s ability to play along. A lot of it is with the set, a lot of it is with the audience — every year, they keep doing better and better,” Cena explained.
“The show is a vehicle to do so many moments at once. We have musical performances, we have a bunch of stars, we have awards to give out for the kids — as the host, it’s not my job to make it the ‘John Cena Show.’ It’s to make it the ‘Kids’ Choice Awards,’ so I have to be the vehicle to keep the show moving.”
Also Read:Watch Jimmy Fallon and John Cena Dance to Bruno Mars’ ‘Finesse’
Here’s who got slimed — and 13 other moments not seen on TV.
Dance off
Cena stayed true to his word and came out dancing with a stage full of kids dressed in neon. One special dancer was Katy Perry’s Backpack Kid, who also wowed guests at the after-party.
March for Our Lives
Cena opened the night by giving a shout out to all the kids who took part in March for Our Lives rallies on Saturday, saying: “It’s so important when kids take charge.” His words definitely got the audience fired up, and Millie Bobby Brown mentioned it as well, saying she hopes her voice can help influence change. When she turned around to show the back of her shirt, it had the names of all the people killed in the Parkland, Florida, shooting.
Blimp-worthy
Giant orange blimps hovered over the crowd giving an aerial view of everyone in the seats.
Also Read:NFL Star Rob Gronkowski on How Nickelodeon’s ‘Crashletes’ Is ‘Like Everything We Did Growing Up’ (Video)
Snowball fight
It was 70 degrees in L.A but that didn’t stop a snow scene on stage. One section of the audience had fuzzy snowball hats under their seats that they were meant to save for a special moment, but no one could resist putting them on immediately. And then it began to snow … so Channing Tatum naturally started a snow ball fight.
OBJ
New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. made his presence known with a bright orange hoodie and his flash of blonde hair.
Slippery stage
Guests in high heels had a precarious walk through a crowd of kids, up steps and across a slime-covered stage to collect their awards.
Noise alert
Word of warning: don’t come to this show if you have a headache — it’s LOUD! The young audience was encouraged to make a lot of noise and they did.
Also Read:Russell Wilson Set to Host Nickelodeon’s ‘Kids’ Choice Sports’ Awards for Second Time
America’s Got Slime
Heidi Klum and Mel B came in very glamorous sparkly dresses … and left covered in green slime. The “America’s Got Talent” hosts proved they were game for anything by getting on the swings above a huge slime pool, but as they precariously swung back and forth, spurts of green slime erupted from below.
Very Important Pet
The crew was very, very careful carrying out one special winner as Jiff the Pom won best Instagram pet. The VIP came in royally, on a bed fit for a king.
Cleaning crew
The cleaners were kept busy as a slew of people armed with towels dove onto the stage during every carefully timed commercial break to clear it of sticky slime.
粘液
At one point, Cena was asked what slime is in Chinese — and then he recited the answer perfectly. It’s a little known fact that he’s fluent in Mandarin, which he learned because WWE is so big in China.
Rock-less
Cena teased The Rock’s big appearance by wearing an “I ❤ Dwayne Johnson” tee-shirt. But sadly the “Rampage” star was tied up on set and the audience had to make do with a video message from him.
Cena is drowned
Cena survived to the end of the show without getting slimed and then he got bombarded with it. He turned into a walking green hulk and couldn’t stop laughing through the mess.
The Evolution of John Cena, from WWE’s Doctor of Thuganomics to ‘Blockers’ (Photos)
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John Cena has risen through the professional wrestling ranks to become not just one of WWE’s most popular Superstars, but one of the most recognizable faces in entertainment today. With “Blockers” set to open soon, let’s take a look back at the rise of Cenation.
1999
Cena first appeared as The Prototype, a semi-robotic character, in the Ohio Valley Wrestling organization (essentially, WWE’s minor league system).
Ohio Valley Wrestling
2002
Shortly after being called up to WWE’s main roster, Cena adopted a new persona: Doctor of Thuganomics, a white rapper who often spat rhymes before his matches and had a penchant for backwards baseball caps and jersey combos. This also served as the beginning of a secondary career for Cena, who recorded a rap album in 2005 (which debuted at 15 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200) and was featured on the WWE soundtrack album “WWE Originals.”
Youtube
2005
After winning the WWE United States Championship the previous year, Cena defeated John “Bradshaw” Mayfield at WrestleMania 21 to win his first World Championship, solidifying his status as a wrestling star.
Youtube
2006
Cena made his feature acting debut in WWE Studios’ “The Marine” opposite Robert Patrick. Along with his new wrestling persona as a marine private who sports flags and denim shorts, the movie helped make Cena the new American hero of the WWE.
20th Century Fox
2010
After a guest appearance on “Saturday Night Live,” Cena was allowed to display his comedy chops on an episode of USA Network’s “Psych,” serving as a sign of things to come. Cena would return in 2017 for “Psych: The Movie.”
USA Network
2012
After several years of losing and regaining the WWE Championship title, Cena entered into one of the biggest feuds in wrestling history against Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. After Johnson “screwed” Cena out of a match, Cena issued a challenge against Johnson for WrestleMania 28, exactly one year later. The highest-grossing event in WWE history ended with Johnson defeating Cena with his patented “Rock Bottom” move.
Youtube
2013
Cena challenged Johnson to a rematch at WrestleMania 29, a challenge that Johnson accepted. This time, Cena emerged victorious. After the match, the two stars publicly shook hands and embraced, ending their feud.
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2015
2015 turned out to be a breakthrough year for Cena, who appeared in the comedy films “Sisters,” “Daddy’s Home” and “Trainwreck.” He also made a memorable guest appearance as himself in the final season of “Parks and Recreation.”
Universal Pictures/NBC
2015 (cont’d)
In addition to his wrestling fans, Cena is known and beloved for his philanthropy, particularly his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Cena began his relationship with the organization in 2004 and has since granted over 500 wishes.
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2016
In 2016, Cena began hosting the Fox reality series “American Grit,” which pitted civilians against each other in grueling physical challenges under the guidance of seasoned military vets.
Michael Becker/Fox
2017
Leaning into his image, Cena opened the year by playing a soldier in Doug Liman’s war thriller “The Wall” opposite Aaron Taylor-Johnson. He then appeared in “Daddy’s Home 2” before voicing a gentle bull with a big heart in “Ferdinand.”
Amazon Studios/Twentieth Century Fox
2017 (cont’d)
After hosting the Australian Kids’ Choice Awards in 2008, Cena was invited to host the Kids’ Choice Awards in 2017. After he charmed and slimed his way into the audience’s hearts, he was invited to host again this year.
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2018
Cena will soon appear in his first comedic lead role opposite Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz in “Blockers.” He will also co-star in the “Transformers” spinoff “Bumblebee” with Hailee Steinfeld, as well as voice recurring villain Baron Draxum in Nickelodeon’s new animated series “Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”
Universal Pictures
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The wrestling favorite seems destined to inherit The Rock’s throne on his quest from the WWE ring to movie stardom
John Cena has risen through the professional wrestling ranks to become not just one of WWE’s most popular Superstars, but one of the most recognizable faces in entertainment today. With “Blockers” set to open soon, let’s take a look back at the rise of Cenation.
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