John Cena has revealed he plans to retire from WWE before age 50, admitting that "it takes its toll more and more" every time he steps in the ring.
Cena, who made his WWE debut 22 years ago in 2002, told Entertainment Tonight that he has set a retirement timeline for his WWE career, and it will come sometime within the next few years, asserting, "That's not a maybe. That time is gonna come, and it's gonna come soon."
He continued, "I made a promise to the consumer early on, to WWE fans, 'cause I know how tough it is to be a fan. You gotta come out of pocket -- and WWE has a ton of content -- it takes a lot to be a passionate fan, and our fanbase is passionate and global. I never wanted to go out there just for the sake of going out there.
"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," he added. "I wanna have the passion -- the same passion as the fanbase -- and I wanna give them exactly what they give me. The miles on the speedometer say, 'Hey, that's gotta be done before 50.'"
Cena celebrates his 47th birthday in April, which means a WWE retirement announcement will come in the next three years, as he confirms that's "the timeline I've put on myself."
While he's had a decorated wrestling career, Cena has also made a name for himself in Hollywood - a move he previously criticised fellow WWE icon Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for, though he has since apologised for "violating his trust" - and he admits it can be challenging to return to WWE for brief stints between projects.
"It's tough to juggle both," he said. "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. 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."
Cena has proven a versatile actor, having portrayed Peacemaker in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad and its spinoff series on HBO Max. He also returned as Jakob in the latest Fast Saga entry, played one of the many Ken's in Barbie, and voiced Rocksteady in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
He will next show up in Matthew Vaughn's big-budget action movie, Argylle, based on the book by Elly Conway (who is definitely not Taylor Swift, FYI).
Image credit: STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X @AdeleAnkers.
