WWE Legend Knows Why John Cena’s Retirement Made Fans So Emotional
A WWE legend has explained why John Cena’s retirement felt different from that of other big names in wrestling history.
The final match of John Cena’s 23-year WWE career took place at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13th. The 17-time World Champion and future WWE Hall of Famer tapped out to Gunther to the dreaded Sleeper hold, even though Cena loved to say “Never Give Up” throughout his career.
Throughout the build to his retirement and even after his retirement match, John Cena has been adamant that he will never wrestle again.
There are many doubters about what Cena has said about his future, since so many wrestlers have come back for one more match, even after retiring as a full-timer. Ric Flair retired numerous times and kept on having one more match, even after his WWE retirement in 2008, which led to Flair working for TNA and wrestling there.
Even “Stone Cold” Steve Austin wrestled again at WrestleMania 38, 19 years after his last match at WrestleMania 19. Another WWE Hall of Famer, Shawn Michaels, also wrestled in a tag team match nearly a decade after his retirement match. There are many other examples too.
What may make Cena different from everybody else in wrestling history is that he’s going to remain very active as an actor doing movies, TV shows, and hosting events. It’s not like Cena needs one more payday in wrestling.
“John Cena Is Just The Greatest Human Ever” – Hornswoggle
Hornswoggle was on the WWE roster for about a decade from 2006 to 2016, and during that entire run, Cena was the unquestioned top star in WWE. That gives Hornswoggle a great perspective on Cena’s legacy in pro wrestling.
Speaking with WrestlingNewsco, Hornswoggle noted that people are so sad about John Cena retiring because he’s such a good person.
“I was flying home yesterday. I had an appearance on Wednesday, in Indiana, and I was flying home yesterday and WWE put out that that tribute video of sorts from all the the wrestlers and the crew and everyone and staff. Man, I was bawling like a baby on the flight, and I don’t, he said it best on Chris Van Vliet, he goes, if you are doubting that this is going to be my last, you’re going to be upset with yourself.
It’s just, man. Austin being done didn’t hit as hard. Ric Flair being done didn’t hit as hard. Shawn Michaels being done didn’t hit (as hard), and I think that’s culture-wide and wrestling fandom-wide. I think about it of like Flair called his last match. Kind of. It was the, you know, the if I lose, I’m done. Shawn called his last match. It was if I lose, I’m done. Austin rode off to the sunset after Mania, and then he came back for the Kevin Owens match.
But I cannot put a finger on why this one is hitting the wrestling community so big. I think it truly is because John Cena is just the greatest human ever. I think that’s it, and I think that’s why. I think that that’s the only reasoning.”
Even though WWE’s Greatest of All Time doesn’t plan on wrestling again, John Cena has already signed an Ambassador deal to continue working with WWE for at least five more years. That means Cena could appear on WWE television again, as other wrestlers do sometimes, but he’s not going to compete in a match again.