Though John Cena’s retirement match against Gunther is set for this weekend on Saturday Night’s Main Event, his time with WWE isn’t over yet. The 17-time World Champion has confirmed he will remain with the company in a new capacity. In an interview with Tom Rinaldi on WWE’s YouTube channel, Cena revealed that he has already signed a new contract with the promotion.
“I will be an ambassador [for] the WWE. I’m already signed on for another five years,” Cena said. “I was like, ‘Please, as long as you can do it.’ I would like to be in this family as an employee, as a contributing part, for as long as I can.”
Despite the extension, Cena insists that he has no plans of ever wrestling again after his match in Washington, D.C. He noted that he wants to uphold his promise to the fans regarding his retirement.
“Physical activity, 100%—and I very rarely speak in absolutes, because you never know—I do know in this case,” he said. “This is why I can speak in absolutes, because I don’t want to let the people that I made a promise to down.”
Later in the interview, Cena specified the kind of work he will be doing. He referenced the pivotal moment early in his career when Stephanie McMahon overheard him rapping on a bus during an overseas tour, which saved him from being released. He hopes to help current talent find their own breakout moments.
“I’m looking forward to the second mountain of being an ambassador because maybe ambassadorship comes with letting more people know to watch this, which was my goal in the first place,” he said. “Maybe mentorship to talent that I wouldn’t have time to spend the time with, where I can sit and be like, ‘OK, who are you really? How do I get the rapping moment on the bus?’ Because I want that guy on TV, or I want that girl on TV. I’m looking forward to that stuff.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit WWE’s YouTube Channel with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
