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Former WWE Champion John Cena has become more and more of an honorary figure in WWE, his in-ring appearances dwindling with each passing year, leading many to wonder when the pro-wrestler-turned-Hollywood star will finally be calling it a career in sports entertainment. In a new interview with Entertainment Tonight, Cena made it clear that the end is near.
"I never wanted to go out there just for the sake of going out there," Cena said on the press tour for his latest film, "Argylle." "I'm gonna be 47 this year. I feel great. So inside I feel great, but I know what it takes to be a WWE performer night in and night out and I don't ever wanna just go out there and do it to do it. I wanna have the passion — the same passion as the fanbase — and I wanna give them exactly what they give me. The miles on this odometer say, 'Hey, that's gotta be done before 50.'"
Cena reiterated that he can't perform in the ring while shooting films for insurance reasons, meaning that outside of extenuating circumstances (like the SAG-AFTRA strike that led to his most recent run) there's no chance of him returning to WWE full-time.
"As long as the phone keeps ringing and we've had some good opportunities here, I'll kind of preserve that for as long as I can," he said. "But even coming back for these one-at-a-time things or short three-month periods, it takes its toll more and more, and I've just had an incredibly fortunate run with my health. I feel great. I just want to continue to feel great the rest of my life."
Making way for the next generation
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When asked if he would be in Philadelphia for WrestleMania 40, Cena played coy, saying he may or may not be free that weekend. He also left things somewhat unclear about what exactly the end of his WWE career would look like. On the one hand, he was firm in his determination to continue his streak of 23 straight years with at least one WWE match even after retirement, saying "I've never missed a year, and as long as I can perform, I don't intend to miss a year." But he also wants to make room for those coming up behind him.
"When I say I'm done — in WWE, they say never say never and a lot of people retire and come back — I'm just being honest with myself," Cena said. "There's such a great new generation now as well. It's time to pass the electric energy on to the folks that can be there every day."
Accordingly, Cena's role as of late has seemingly been to usher in the new generation of WWE stars. His last in-ring appearance was a loss to The Bloodline's Solo Sikoa at WWE Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, after which he was brutally beaten down by the rising star. Before that, he put over LA Knight after their tag team victory at WWE Fastlane and lost a WWE United States Championship match to then-champion Austin Theory at WrestleMania 39.
