John Cena has shared the heartwarming story behind one of the biggest surprises he has ever pulled off, revealing how he had to convince his mother to accept a house he secretly built for her.

Speaking on Good Hang with Amy Poehler, the WWE icon recalled purchasing land in his hometown of West Newbury, Massachusetts, during the 2008 financial crisis, when a rare opportunity became available. Since land in the area almost never goes on the market, Cena acted quickly and recruited his brother Dan, a contractor, to build a home under the guise that it would be for Cena himself if he ever moved back.

The secret remained under wraps for two years before Cena invited his family to Thanksgiving at the completed property. During the gathering, he handed his mother, Carol, what she believed was a birthday gift, only for her to discover it was the key to her own home.

Despite the emotional moment, Carol initially refused to accept the gift.

"My mom doesn't like that, but she wanted to come see the whole house. When everybody gets in the bar room, I give my mom a birthday present, and it's the key to the house, and she, like, lost it," Cena recalled. "She's like, 'I can't, I can't.' I'm like, 'No, it's already taken care of. Movers are coming tomorrow.'"

Cena explained that his mother had been happily living alone in a modest third-floor attic apartment and was perfectly content with her simple lifestyle.

"My mom was living on the third floor of like a triple family in an attic in 300 square feet with her stuff packed in. And she was just by herself, packed in, and she was content and happy. That's who my mom is. She's a lunch-pail blue collar, like she'd go to work."

Realizing she wasn't going to accept such a generous gift easily, Cena admitted he had to change tactics.

"She wouldn't accept it. So then I had to negotiate. I had to be a diplomat," he said. "I'm like, 'You don't understand. There'll be trucks there tomorrow. Everyone's on board. We're going to move your stuff over. I'll tell you what, it's already here. This isn't for me. Could you please at least give it a try so all this doesn't go to waste?'"

That practical approach finally won her over.

"She was like, 'Well, if it's going to waste.'"

Looking back, Cena said the plan worked out perfectly, with his mother still living there today.

"And that was like 15 years ago, and she's been there ever since. Now it's her place, and we get together there on holidays, and it's her place. She earned it. She absolutely earned it."