John Cena has confirmed his retirement plans as his time in WWE reaches its twilight stage.
Cena is one of the most synonymous WWE stars of all time, winning the joint-most number of world titles ever in his career, with 16 alongside Ric Flair.
Since debuting in 2002, he has enjoyed a number of rivalries, remaining a babyface – heroic – character throughout his 22-year tenure in the company.
He was last seen on WWE TV in November, performing at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia in a losing effort to Solo Sikoa, who has been embroiled in The Bloodline’s rivalry with Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins in recent months.
And, though fans have become accustomed to Cena not being around, it won’t be long until he’s gone for good, with the veteran revealing he has just a matter of years remaining as a performer.
John Cena has confirmed his retirement plans as his time in WWE reaches its twilight years
The veteran, who is currently 46, has doubled down on his intention to call it a day before he turns 50
Cena, pictured in 2005, has been a staple piece of WWE since he debuted in the company in 2002
‘You know what, 50 is my absolute line in the sand,’ Cena said recently, via the Wrestling Observer. ‘I would like to try to do it before that. But at 50 I’m just going to tweet, “Peace out, see ya”. That’s it, I’m good.’
‘I was very much driven where WWE was my passion 24/7. And I’m very grateful, but I’ve grown and there’s a lot of other avenues I’m curious about in life. And certainly being a great husband and partner is one of those. So I just want to try to do what I can in those avenues.’
Cena, 46, revealed earlier this year that he wanted to call it a day before his 50th birthday, and his recent run in the company doesn’t appear to have changed his mind.
He made sporadic appearances in WWE during the Hollywood strikes last year, concluding with his match against Sikoa, and fans are hopeful he will win his 17th world title before the end of his career.
He also made a surprise appearance at Money In The Bank at the O2 last year, promising fans a WrestleMania in Britain before saying he wants his last match to be at the venue.
Cena was on WWE TV regularly last year during the Hollywood strikes before leaving again
He crossed paths with the likes of The Rock (left), and could meet his former rival again at WrestleMania
Cena has now returned to Hollywood and posed naked at the Oscars at the weekend
It remains unclear what Cena’s role will be at next month’s WrestleMania event, with the veteran teasing a potential role in recent media interviews.
It is unlikely the actor, who posed naked at the Oscars at the weekend, will have a match, though he could appear in a guest or hosting role in Philadelphia.
According to the Wrestling Observer, Cena is likely to do ‘something fun, short and memorable and with substance’ if he does appear at the event, which will be headlined by Roman Reigns vs Rhodes.
