John Cena Eyes WWE Retirement: 'I Know It's Soon'

John Cena's final match in WWE may not be too far off, according to the Peacemaker star himself.

John Cena may be getting ready to hang up the pumps for good as he nears the end of his professional wrestling career.

After rising to the top of WWE as one of the pro wrestling organization's biggest stars for many years, Cena has been transitioning into focusing more on his acting career. That's meant spending a lot less time on WWE television in recent years, though he's not through yet. The Peacemaker star served as the guest host of WWE's Payback live event on Saturday, and he's expected to stick around on SmackDown through September and October. However, as Cena explained to WWE Digital after his Payback appearance, he knows that the end is nigh.

“Every single chance I get to go out there becomes more and more special," Cena explained. "There is no denying the fact that I’m 46 and staring down 47. I’ve been here for over two decades. As I said out there in the ring, the last one is not tonight, but I know it’s soon. To speak candidly, when you’re involved in this every day in a full-time capacity, you just think about what’s next.”

The wrestler added, “The WWE Universe being gracious to invite me and allow me back to be part of this family, for the last two or three years, I’ve been able to focus on what’s now. I never miss any of those wonderful moments in the ring. I know it may sound repetitive, but so is me saying ‘Never give up,’ and I never mind saying that, so I never mind saying ‘thank you’ to the people that make this special. Without them and them caring, I don’t get to come back.”

John Cena Has Been Busy in Hollywood

Cena's been making limited appearances in WWE because of his increasingly-busy schedule as an actor. His can currently be heard as the voice of the villain Rocksteady in the animated film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle: Mutant Mayhem, which is now available to rent or purchase on digital. He also has a role in the massively-successful Barbie, which just became the highest-grossing movie of 2023 (along with setting tons of other new records). Cena's comedy sequel Vacation Friends 2 also recently debuted on Hulu.

For now, fans can catch Cena Friday nights on WWE SmackDown.