John Cena Makes Emotional Confession About WWE Retirement: “We’re All Going To Die”

John Cena has made peace with his WWE retirement.

The 17-time World Champion competed in his final wrestling match at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, 2025, where he lost to Gunther via tapout.

Amid criticism over the manner in which he lost, John Cena said during an interview that his character had been killed off and the show would not stop for him.

He further stated that his knowledge about the industry had become obsolete after contributing 23 years of his life and learning its ins and outs, resulting in his decision to retire.

John Cena Discusses His Altered Perception About Death

John Cena has emerged as one of the philosophically gifted wrestlers, especially when it comes to speaking at interviews.

During a recent virtual conversation on Wild Card with Rachel Martin, he touched upon the topic of death again after the host asked whether his thoughts about it had changed over time.

Cena was brutally honest about the subject, admitting that it helped him to take his retirement in stride without making a big deal out of it.

Yes, I will die and I think about that often and I never… You know what? I always used to say it out loud like as a young person again, having fun with life like, ‘Oh, I’m never going to make it till I’m 40.’  Um or if I make it till I’m 40, I’ve overstayed my welcome. That was just cannon fodder and to do things that were like dopamine hits. Like that is just a way to say that to be like, ‘This is okay to do cuz I’m not going to make it till 40, right?’

He then went on to share his altered perspective of death, which he now saw as something that gave him gratitude for the position he holds in society.

Now my perspective has changed that we all die. We are all going to die. And it gives me gratitude towards the now. It makes me excited for things down the road. It allows me to reflect with great feelings. It’s why I don’t have a void for retirement. I have love and gratitude and thanks.

John Cena is also not interested in grieving the demise of his in-ring career and admits that the bigger picture is now different, which allows him to look at things differently.

If my day gets a little gritty, I’m alive. You know? When we start saying like what’s the worst that could happen? You could not be alive.

I know life will deal me a whole set of challenges and the challenges will get different exponentially as the days go on and the birthdays pass.

The 49-year-old also encouraged others to think about mortality, not as a macabre reality of life but because it helps a person view life as it should be.

I think about my mortality often. And I encourage folks to do more of that and not from a morbid sense, from a factual sense.

We all think we got all the time in the world. And I think when you realize you don’t, it helps you appreciate the time you have. At least from my perspective. [H/T: Ringside News]

Despite retiring from wrestling, Cena has made multiple appearances for WWE, even announcing the John Cena Classic at Backlash.

The event will add a new title to the company, something Triple H is reportedly working on in close association with.