John Cena Makes Heartbreaking Confession About WWE Retirement
All good things come to an end, and so did John Cena’s WWE run as a pro wrestler.
For around two decades, Cena was the face of the company, where he ruled the hearts of the WWE Universe with his “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect” and “Never Give Up” attitude. But in December 2025, he had to say goodbye to wrestling.
John Cena’s last match took place at Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII, where he faced Gunther in a singles match. Cena lost his retirement match via tapout, a finish that drew a lot of heat and controversy. Although Cena has retired, he remains with WWE as the company’s brand ambassador.
Why John Cena Felt It Was Time To Walk Away From Wrestling
He recently appeared on The Takedown on SI podcast, where he opened up about his decision to retire. John Cena stated that it was hard for him to walk away from wrestling, but he realized that, given his age, he would not have been able to continue with the current WWE product.
He added that the current WWE style is way “too fast” for him, and even though he is physically fit and active, he’s just not on the same level he used to be before.
“This new crop of extra talented superstars come up that are performing at a speed like the game just looks too fast for me… because it is. You’re right. I could change my style, but at the risk of ruining that energy that WWE invested in me. And that’s tough because from an ego standpoint, you got to step away from the audience. I love the audience. It’s great.”
John Cena added that retiring from WWE was a righteous decision because it was time for him to step away from the spotlight so that new talents could get the opportunity to rise and shine.
“But man, that’s not respectful to the fans, and it’s not respectful to the company. It’s also not respectful to new talent trying to get an opportunity. Step aside. Let the young superstars come up.”
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