John Cena: WWE retirement ‘far exceeded whatever was in my heart and soul’
John Cena’s retirement was a moment that far exceeded any expectations he had going into the match.
In his first interview since losing to Gunther at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, John Cena sat down with Cody Rhodes on his “What Do You Wanna Talk About?” podcast. Cena reflected on how meaningful the match and the night as a whole were to him.
“I envisioned something beautiful. Saturday far exceeded whatever was in my heart and soul,” Cena said. “So I know I’m out there one last time. They had to move the side ramps in to put more seats. It almost was like a fire hazard to go down the ramp. You cannot fit anymore — I know it’s an old wrestler’s story but I’m setting the stage for why I was so filled with joy. You can’t fit anymore people in there.
“Going up to this event, I made sure everyone I talked to, all of the podcasts I did, I’m like, ‘Hey, I know you may not think I’m going to retire — I am. I’m comfortable with that. Please just get the closure you need.’ So now I’m out there. They hate the guy I’m working with. They universally cheer me, that is f*cking rare. And for the last five minutes, everything I preach about story and drama and having a conversation with the audience. The ones I love are in the front row. I know my colleagues are watching on the monitor back there. We’re just in a sleeper hold, man. We’re just in a sleeper hold. But we’re having that conversation with the audience.”
The finish of the match was a controversial one with Cena going out with a loss. As Gunther had him locked in the sleeper, Cena tapped out and flashed a smile. Cena said that, to him, the smile was like taking his last breath and going out peacefully. The audience can interpret the moment however they want and it’s fine if they did not see it the same way as he did.
“So as I essentially take my last breath, I have struggled. If you think of somebody — the natural causes scenario or however we picture loss in our life. All of us have been through it. They struggle, they struggle, they struggle, they hang on just long enough to make sure to say goodbye to everybody that’s been meaningful in their lives,” Cena said. “And that whole day was so many unbelievably vulnerable, meaningful conversations. And then you realize, I’ve connected with everybody I love. Physically, I feel great. I think it’s time to take that last breath. And that’s that — I hate to keep going back morbidly to obituaries, but this person died peacefully. And knowing that like, man, we are in a good place. We’re going to be great going forward. The bottom of the T-shirt says, ‘I gave everything, thank you for everything.’ And that one moment — that was that, going peacefully.”
Cena said the story of his whole retirement tour was analogous to someone knowing they’re going to pass away a year in advance. He expressed the “utmost respect” for Gunther as an opponent who considers the mat to be sacred.
“That motherf*cker hits hard and pure, and he is all about this 20-by-20 box,” Cena said.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.