John Cena Hints at WWE Retirement: ‘It’s Gonna Come Soon’
John Cena‘s days inside the squared circle are coming to an end, as the pro wrestler turned Hollywood actor has revealed he plans to retire from wrestling for good before he hits 50.
Speaking to Entertainment Tonight, the 46-year-old Barbie actor was asked about “maybe” retiring from WWE, to which he replied, “That’s not a maybe. That time is gonna come, and it’s gonna come soon.”
“I never wanted to go out there just for the sake of going out there,” Cena added. “I’m gonna be 47 this year. I feel great… but I know what it takes to be a WWE performer night in and night out, and I don’t ever wanna just go out there and do it to do it. I wanna have the passion, the same passion as the fanbase, and I wanna give them exactly what they give me.”
“The miles on the odometer say, ‘Hey, that’s gotta be done before 50,’” he concluded.
Cena briefly returned to WWE last summer amid the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but he has made it no secret that his in-ring days are winding down.
The actor will next be seen in the spy action comedy movie Argylle, starring alongside an all-star line-up, including Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Dua Lipa, Ariana DeBose, and Samuel L. Jackson.
While appearing on the BBC’s The One Show to promote Argylle, Cena touched on his wrestling retirement plans. He asked if he had an idea in mind of who he’d want his final opponent to be and where it would take place.
“I never try to pick my opponents because that’s way above my pay grade, but I’ve been an active advocate for London to be a host of WrestleMania,’ he shared. “I don’t think I’d be able to choose my opponent, but if I could choose a venue, it would be the O2 in London.’
Cena made his wrestling debut in 1999 and signed with the WWE (then WWF) in 2001. He would go on to become a 16-time World Champion and one of the most popular WWE superstars of all time.
During his brief return to WWE last year, The Suicide Squad star said, “Every single chance I get to go out there becomes more and more special. There is no denying the fact that I’m 46 and staring down 47. I’ve been here for over two decades. As I said out there in the ring, the last one is not tonight, but I know it’s soon.”
