John Cena didn’t walk away from wrestling because he stopped loving WWE. According to Cena, the decision came down to one thing he couldn’t negotiate with anymore — his body.
While speaking to WrestleRant, Cena was asked if there was anything about no longer being a full-time wrestler that he was actually happy to leave behind. Cena said the physical punishment was the one part of the lifestyle that ultimately pushed him toward retirement, even though he still loved practically everything else about being on the road.
Cena explained that his wife got a firsthand look at how demanding the WWE schedule could be when she began traveling with him. Even after decades of doing it, Cena said he still loved the fraternity, the live crowds and the constantly changing stories. The problem was that his physical abilities were no longer where they once were.
“Honestly, the one thing — and this spawned my retirement — is the physical wear. You know, I got a great partner and my bride and we travel everywhere together, and she loves WWE. She, when we met, she knew nothing about what I did and we just — it was organic and we met and it’s such a beautiful story. But man, her first loops were summer Athena and I remember the first four shows we did when we flew out to the first town and flew back from the last town. She looks at me, she says, ‘How do you do this?’ I said, ‘Man, I’m — I’ve been doing it for, you know, 20 years up to this point.’ It’s honestly — I like that life. I like the fraternity. I love the everchanging live audience, the narratives. Like I could waste all your interview time telling you how much I love it and how much I miss all of that stuff.”
Cena said that love for wrestling only made the decision harder because mentally, he still wanted to be there. Physically, however, he was watching too many warning signs pile up at the same time.
“So, one shining guideline was physically I’m older. I’m slower. My sprint time is down, my vertical jump is down, my strength is down. Like, how many red flags, how many lights on the dash have to go on before you say like, hey, it’s time to move on?”
Cena made it clear that he isn’t dealing with a situation where he can’t function or enjoy life after wrestling. He actually feels good and still has his health. The issue is that professional wrestling demands far more than simply feeling healthy enough to get through the day.
“You know, I still have my health. I still feel very good, but honestly, if I was bulletproof, I’d still be in there with the guys.”
That last line says pretty much everything about why Cena retired. This wasn’t a guy looking for an excuse to get away from wrestling. He still loved the travel, the locker-room environment, the crowds and the stories, but he could see his speed, power and athleticism moving in the wrong direction.
Cena’s comments also make it clear that he wanted to leave while he could still walk away healthy rather than keep pushing until his body made the decision for him. After more than two decades of taking bumps and maintaining a WWE schedule, he finally had enough warning lights flashing to know it was time.
Do you think John Cena made the right decision by retiring once he noticed his physical abilities declining, or do you think he still had more matches left in him? Let us know your thoughts and feedback in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
