John Cena has explained the reason he’s hanging up his boots in 2025 and why he believes WWE’s older stars should follow suit.
17-time World Champion Cena is currently on his WWE retirement tour, which will see him end his wrestling career in December 2025.
Cena promised 35 to 40 dates in 2025 and has currently wrestled the likes of CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Randy Orton.
Before he retires from professional wrestling for good, Cena has explained why all older stars should take note of the way he’s left the business.
John Cena thinks older WWE stars should retire gracefully
Cena appeared on the Breakfast Club Power and revealed the toll two decades in wrestling has taken on his body.
The star believes he has lost a step inside the squared circle and that is all the reason he needed to step away from the sport.
Cena believes others should follow in his footsteps by retiring before their body lets them down completely.
“Hopefully I can maybe set a precedent of ‘Hey, maybe it’s okay to say you had a wonderful time, but it’s really time to go,’” explained Cena.
“Because the older you get, it’s really…I just want to be in a good partner to my wife, I want to be able to walk upright,” continued the 17-time World Champion.
“I want my health into my final chapters of life. And the way I can do that or the way I can hedge that sure is not fall down a lot, post 45.”
WWE currently has several stars on the roster who are a similar age to Cena. His most recent opponent, Punk, is 46 and will likely retire himself in the next couple of years.
Cena’s suspected Clash in Paris opponent, AJ Styles, is 48 and has teased a retirement of his own in the last year.
Who will John Cena face in the remainder of his WWE retirement tour?
Cena has limited dates left of his WWE retirement tour, but there’s still time to fit in some incredible match-ups.
After his King of the Ring win at Night of Champions, it looks like a re-match with Rhodes is on the cards at SummerSlam.
That should see Cena lose the WWE Championship, which will give the star a chance to explore some other stars lower down the pecking order.
Matches with the likes of Bron Breakker, Dominik Mysterio, and Carmelo Hayes should follow for Cena’s final run with the company.