The wrestler-turned-actor announced during World Wrestling Entertainment’s “Monday in the Bank” event that he’ll retire from the WWE next year.
Cena, 47, is a 16-time WWE world champion. His announcement was met with boos from some in the audience. He thanked viewers “for letting me play in the house that you built for so many years.”
“WWE is filled with stories. It’s constantly a program of stories ending and new stories beginning,” Cena said at a press conference after the event.
“I’ve never been too concerned with the word ‘legacy,’ and I don’t want you to mix messages here: It doesn’t mean I shortchange any second on the canvas.
I wish I could do it infinitely. Now I want to just try to do something special for a globe of people I owe everything to.”Cena said he plans to do between 30 to 40 dates through 2025 as an end to his wrestling career, which began in 2000. He has considered retirement before and during the press conference said the timing is now feels optimal.