John Cena provided a detailed and personal explanation for his ongoing WWE farewell tour, telling Stephanie McMahon on her “What’s Your Story?” podcast that he must end his full-time run because continuing the rigorous schedule would “ruin” both him and his relationship with his wife.
A Change in Priorities
Cena explained that for over 15 years, the “tip of his spear” was making it to the next town for WWE, a goal that guided all of his life decisions. Now, at age 48, that has changed. “The greatest gift is waking up. And that is the tip of my spear, and right below that is my bride,” he stated. “So, hey, am I running right? Great. Are we running right? Great. I’ll figure everything else out.”
Acknowledging Physical Limitations
He also spoke candidly about the physical realities of his age and long career. “My skills are on the regress because I take less risks,” Cena admitted. “I have more than myself to think about. There are goals that I want to have that don’t land on the canvas. I want to be able to move around, so I have to kind of hedge on the risks that I take, which means I’m hedged on the moves I can do, and I’m also a little bit more worn.”
The Demands of a Top Star
Cena detailed the immense commitment required to be a full-time WWE Superstar, a level of focus he can no longer maintain. “If you want to be full time in this, that’s a difficult juggling act. Just from the way I invest in this… it is tough to carry people along with you. It is like they need to ride the wave. They can’t run next to you,” he explained. “And am I running right? A schedule like I was doing in 2013 would destroy me right now.”
Closing the Chapter
This realization led to his decision to end his legendary run. He summarized the choice by saying that continuing would jeopardize what he now holds most important. “It will ruin me and ruin my relationship. And that’s the tip of my spear,” he said. “So I gotta close the chapter.”
Fans can see John Cena on his farewell tour at upcoming WWE live events and premium live events. He will defend his WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes tomorrow night at SummerSlam. The full, in-depth conversation with Stephanie McMahon is available on the “What’s Your Story?” podcast.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Whats Your Story? With Steph McMahon with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
