John Cena says retirement has significantly reduced the punishment on his body. He still trains and maintains the same look, but he no longer has to spend most of his time repairing the damage caused by wrestling.
Cena ended his 24-year WWE career against GUNTHER in December 2025. After years of taking bumps and forcing his body through demanding matches, the 17-time world champion can finally work out without first having to put himself back together.
Speaking with Metro, Cena explained that retirement hasn’t dramatically changed his training routine because he has maintained a similar physique throughout his adult life. The real reward is no longer dealing with the constant physical toll of wrestling.
“I have looked essentially the same for the entire run of my adulthood. So training-wise, retirement isn’t any different. The biggest reward is physical activity, especially in these last four years; it has been incredibly tough on the body.”
Cena used his 2021 WWE run as an example of how much damage wrestling was doing. His back became swollen and fell so far out of alignment that he was left walking twisted. Before he could return to normal training, Cena had to put serious effort into correcting everything the matches had done to his body.
“So I’m walking twisted, and I got to put so much effort into making everything right again before I can train again.”
That recovery process is no longer controlling his workouts. Cena said retirement has allowed him to spend less time repairing his body and more time actually using it.
“Man, now the workouts are great because I’m not doing as much getting everything right. The car is spending less time in the shop and more time on the track.”
Cena may still train like an athlete, but retirement has removed the weekly damage that came with being a WWE Superstar. After more than two decades in the ring, his body is finally spending less time in recovery mode.
Do you think John Cena made the right decision by retiring when he did? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
