John Cena has explained his decision of retirement ahead of his final WrestleMania match tonight.
The Cenation Leader did an out-of-character interview for the first time since turning heel at Elimination Chamber, speaking to Daniel Cormier for ESPN. They talked about things such as Cena's upcoming match with Cody Rhodes, his last WrestleMania, and more.
They also discussed how Cena is back in a premier position in the main event, after his long losing streak before the Elimination Chamber. Cormier mentioned that John himself had made fun of his losses on many occasions, and the Cenation leader then explained how the decision of his retirement tour was born out of the discussion about his losing streak:
What I was trying to do is state facts and me being honest with my record basically led me to be like 'I got to retire.' The reason I hadn't had a lot of success in the WWE is because I'm a part-time participant. This needs to consume your life to be great.
Not only consume your life but like you really have to be curious, passionate, open, humble. Man, I can only imagine that if you are not fully focused, coachable, and 100% involved in fight training. So in me trying to split time and thinking that I can do both. I just did this a lot less and less and was used accordingly.
As you are ushered on the way out, you're supposed to build all this energy and then give it away. That's the cycle of life in sports entertainment. If you leave with the energy, you have robbed the business. So me saying this over and over again, I was like, 'Man, I haven't won a match since this. I'm going to be 48 next week.' So I was like, 'Oh man, it's time to retire.' That's when I was like, 'I'd like to do this farewell tour.'
I'm There: John Cena
Daniel Cormier mentioned how even with his reduced WWE schedule, John Cena has been busy outside of the company. The retired UFC fighter asked if the 16-time world champion has thought about life after WWE, and Cena explained that he's had a lot of time to think about it since he stopped wrestling full time in 2017:
I've had a whole lot of time to think about this. I kind of weaned off a full-time schedule in 2017. It's 2025. So we're talking over a half decade to contemplate like, 'Oh man, this is this is kind of where it's at.' I also made a cemented promise, even in my 20s to the audience, 'When I am a step slow, I am out the door.' Like understand when your run is over and just bow out gracefully. I feel that I'm a step slow. I'm there.
When Cormier praised John, saying that he's still a very good wrestler, Cena explained that he is using the wisdom he has acquired in the ring over the years. Though while his enthusiasm for the business has remained the same, his athletic abilities have deteriorated. According to the wrestling veteran, he can "only use those mental gymnastics so much" and he has decided to call it a career because "I don't ever want somebody to buy a ticket and feel robbed, that's all."
