John Cena Reveals When He Decided WWE Retirement in Video with Stephanie McMahon

WWE legend John Cena provided some insight this week into how he reached the decision to make 2025 his final year as an active professional wrestler.

Cena took to X to post a clip from his appearance on Stephanie's Places with former WWE executive Stephanie McMahon on ESPN+.

In the clip, Cena suggested that he had an epiphany about not being able to lift as much weight as he once could, which led to a similar realization for him when it came to wrestling.

"My skills are on the regress," Cena said. "If I continue at a full-time physical capability or involvement, I'm not gonna run right, my partner's not gonna run right and our relationship's not gonna run right. Sorry kid, it's time to close this chapter. I wish I was 18, I wish I felt great because I don't feel more at home—besides in the arms of my wife—than I do on a canvas. I had pitched this idea, a real wrestling farewell, and hoping that they would see the business of it."

Last year, Cena announced at Money in the Bank in Toronto that 2025 would mark his retirement tour in WWE.

While Cena is one of the biggest stars in wrestling history and was the face of WWE for nearly 15 years, he has only wrestled a part-time schedule in recent years due to his acting commitments in Hollywood.

Cena has never been known as an elite in-ring worker, but his decline in the ring has been pretty apparent as he has gotten older, and he recently turned 48, which is an age at which most wrestlers have clearly regressed from their younger years.

Despite that, fans fully embraced the start of Cena's retirement tour, rooting for him to win the men's Royal Rumble match and then the men's Elimination Chamber match in hopes that he could chase his record-breaking 17th world title reign.

Cena did indeed win the Elimination Chamber, but he shocked the WWE Universe that same night by attacking Cody Rhodes and turning heel for the first time in more than 20 years.

He went on to beat Rhodes for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41 by cheating, and he has continued to break the rules since then.

Typically, when a retirement tour happens in wrestling or any sport, the goal is to allow the retiring legend to soak up as much love as they can from the fans before riding off into the sunset.

Cena and WWE have turned that trope on its head, and Cena is instead garnering massive heel heat despite his retirement being only months away.

It remains possible that Cena could return to being a babyface before the end of the year and go out on a high note, but when, where or if that happens is anyone's guess, which makes Cena's retirement tour arguably the most unique one in wrestling history.

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