During a recent appearance on ESPN’s First Take, John Cena commented on the current landscape of WWE and the strength of its talent roster. Cena expressed his surprise and gratitude regarding the company’s mainstream crossover appeal, specifically its partnership with ESPN.
“The state of the union (WWE) is fantastic with relationships like how we are finally in the ESPN family,” Cena said. “Never did I think I’d be able to sit here and be welcomed into the ESPN family. This has been great.
I’ve been on Wrestlepalooza, I’ve been on Crown Jewel, and we’ve got Survivor Series coming up in San Diego on November 29th. You don’t want to miss that. That’s my last appearance on ESPN. Really excited about it.”
Cena also addressed the current locker room, noting that the high level of skill among the current performers has made his decision to retire easier. He believes the company is in safe hands with the current generation of superstars.
“But there’s never been a better time to be in WWE, and that’s from its relationships in the lens and its roster on the field,” Cena continued. “I think we have the most gifted and the biggest batch of gifted personnel in the ring. They’re doing stuff right now I could never possibly think of, which is why it’s time for me to walk away.”
Cena also spoke about his decision to retire from wrestling. “I still got a little bit left in the tank, as you saw in those highlights. I’m 48, I still look good, I feel good, I have my health. But man, I’ve been in it for 23 years and operating at a very high capacity and very high level.
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And I really want to pave a way for the future, and I’d rather go now and leave the memories with the audience, like, ‘Man, he always gave his all’ than risk doing bad work.”
When the hosts did the “You Can’t See Me” hand gesture, John Cena reacted to that. “Yeah, I want to be invisible a few more times, and that’s it. It’s been a great year, and I’m very happy to pass the torch to what I think is an extremely capable class of men and women.”
Cena is currently in the final month of his in-ring career. He recently captured the Intercontinental Championship from Dominik Mysterio on Raw, achieving Grand Slam Champion status.
He is scheduled to defend the title in a rematch against Mysterio at Survivor Series: WarGames on November 29 at Petco Park in San Diego. His final match will take place two weeks later at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13.
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