IT'S HARD TO TALK ABOUT A legend before he's been made, but we'll take that risk with legend John Cena. The WWE's U.S. champ is a real-life MC (Eminem: consider this an official challenge) and a soon-to-be movie star. Now he reveals to MF the well-rounded, well-grounded persona that is making him the latest crossover success. Brace yourself, America.

Q: How do you stay in shape, especially when you're on the road four days a week?

A: I have to make it to the gym--it's the only way I'll survive in the ring. But I can't train heavy because I'm wrestling all the time or in places where I can't get good food, so it's hard to recover. Instead, I circuit-train one body part per session. If I'm working chest, I'll do six exercises--one after the other--with no rest in between. It doubles as a cardio workout, and it keeps me pumped. That allows me to stay big, but I can't really get stronger.

Q: So what do you bench?

A: Probably 315. Pretty sad, right? You'd be surprised--a lot of wrestlers aren't as strong as they look because they train in a similar way.

Q: How did you first get into lifting?

A: In the seventh grade, I was pretty small and really skinny--about 125 pounds--so I became an obvious target. My junior-high and high school were in the same building, and I had to walk over to the high school side to catch my bus home. When I did, the high school kids would kick my ass for looking like I did. To protect myself, I started lifting weights.

Q: Now you're 6'1", 240, and the WWE has you starring in a movie (The Marine, out later this year) and rapping on your own album (You Can't See Me, due in May). What do you think makes you more marketable than the other superstars?

A: I'm not afraid to fail. A lot of the guys get shook up about doing things wrong. I get shook up about not trying enough shit. I'm not afraid to try something new and look stupid. As soon as they let me rap on Smackdown!, I ran with it. That doesn't mean I'm any better or smarter than anyone else--just more likely to take chances.

Q: Why do you think fans identify with you?

A: I'm a rebel. I'm a regular dude with real attitude, and I think the guy who paid $40 for his ticket can relate to that. I'm not larger than life--I'm shades of gray.

Q: So how much of what we see in the ring is really you?

A: My character is me. I'm one of the lucky ones--I get to be myself. When I'm out there in front of 20,O00 people, I turn the volume up. But it's still me.

Q: So you don't take yourself too seriously.

A: No. Everything I do is for fun--wrestling, movies, and music. I'm not trying to re-invent the wheel, but at the same time, I'm equally passionate about everything I do. I won't put out a piece of shit.

Q: What happens if the album flops and the movie bombs?

A: It doesn't really matter. They're mainly to say to the critics, "Look, you guys just classify us as big 'rasslers: But we're more than that. We're people, we're athletes, and we're multitalented:' I paid for the production of my album myself, and I'm not going to see a dime from it. It all goes to the WWE. I don't have any acting ambitions, but I'm an entertainer, and film is another avenue for me to entertain.

Q: Have you talked to The Rock or Jesse Ventura about life after wrestling?

A: There's no one that I want to model my career after. Those guys who have gone on to other venues have considered life after wrestling. To me, there is no life after wrestling. If I wasn't doing this, I'd probably be mowing lawns. Whether I become a mega-star or not, I'm going to be getting in the ring till I'm broken up and done ... and then I'll go back to mowing lamas.