WWE Superstar John Cena is showing his fans how important it is to be strong both in and out of the ring, as he grants his 500th Make-A-Wish request.
Cena, according to ABC News, will grant his 500th wish Monday making him the first to do so for the organization. Rocco Lanzer, an 8-year-old boy from Queens who was diagnosed with Leukemia in January, will be the recipient of the wish and get ringside seats to Monday Night RAW, along with other things.
“I just drop everything,” Cena said. “If I can offer a fantastic experience, I’ll be first in line to do my part.”
Lanzer, who will need at least three years of treatment, says Cena is “nice and strong and inspirational. He reminds kids to never give up.” Cena surprised the 8-year-old with a championship belt and tickets for Monday night’s show. “When he was diagnosed, everybody would tell him you have to be strong and you can never give up,” said Maria Lanzer, Rocco’s mother. “He was like, ‘Wow mommy, that’s what John Cena says.’ I’m like, ‘See if a wrestler tells you to never give up, then you can’t give up. You have to fight and be strong.”
Cena granted his first wish in 2004, and the WWE has granted more than 6,000 wishes in total to either meet the superstars or attend their live shows. Hulk Hogan has been the most requested, and nearly 50 wrestlers have granted wishes since 2001.
The WWE will be in Brooklyn for Monday night’s show and Rocco will be there to see Cena in action. “I want them to have an experience that will stay with them forever,” Cena said. “I don’t ever want the children or their families to be treated in a way where they feel as if they’re up against anything at all.”
Photo Credit: Jennifer Graylock/INFphoto.com