John Cena knows he has more days as an active in-ring performer behind him than he does in front of him, as evident in his reduced schedule with WWE and the pivot a few years ago to acting, something that has paid off big for the future WWE Hall of Famer.
Giving back
In 2023, Cena gave back to the business by putting over younger talent, including Austin Theory at WrestleMania 39, teaming with LA Knight, and letting Solo Sikoa beat him in his most recent WWE match at Crown Jewel in November.
Coming out of that show, not only did Cena tease that his retirement from wrestling was coming sooner rather than later, but he also had to have two operations following the run.
While speaking with People.com, Cena admitted, “I turned 47 this past year, and I don’t have much time left in the WWE.” He thinks it’s just the demand of age as he is trying to figure out when to close that chapter in his life.
Time is up
Cena said he wouldn’t be who he is without WWE and promised himself he would never be there for his own sake. Cena stated that he wants to give his all to the fans when performing, and once he turned 45 years old, he began to form an exit strategy, something he is trying to work on currently.
“I just want to do what’s best for the company,” Cena says. “If it’s a big final match or if it’s just a final match, or however I can be integrated into the product to let everyone know that this chapter is over, I’m willing to listen to what WWE has to say.”
Cena thinks if he is not integrated with the WWE family going forward, it’s a waste to everyone involved. He said it’s hard to step away after you invested some much of yourself in it.
Cena added, “I basically just want to still leave WWE with my head up high and for the audience to be able to appreciate the effort that I’ve given.”
