John Cena has revealed that he plans to retire from the World Wrestling Federation (WWE) before he turns 50, admitting that "it gets to him more and more" every time he steps into the ring, IGN reported.
Cena, who made his WWE debut 22 years ago in 2002, told Entertainment Tonight that he has set a timetable for his retirement from WWE and that it will be sometime in the next few years, assuring, "It's not a 'maybe' ". That time will come, and soon."
He continued: "Right from the start I made a promise to the consumers, to the fans of WWE, because I know how hard it is to be a fan. You have to bring in your own resources - and WWE has tons of content - it takes a lot to be a passionate fan, and our fan base is passionate and global.”
"I'm going to be 47 years old this year. I feel great. But even if I feel great inside, I know what it takes to be a WWE performer day in and day out, and I never want to go out there and do it without just a real goal," he added. "I want to have passion - the same passion as the fans - and give them exactly what they give me. The kilometers on the speedometer say, 'Hey, you have to leave before you turn 50.'
Cena will celebrate his 47th birthday in April, meaning his WWE retirement announcement will come within the next three years.
While he has had a rich wrestling career, Cena has also appeared in Hollywood - a move he previously criticized fellow WWE star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for, though he later apologized for "breaking his trust" - and admits, that it might be a challenge to return to WWE for short stints between projects.
"It's hard to juggle both," he said.
Cena has proven himself as a versatile actor playing Peacemaker in James Gunn's Suicide Squad and its spinoff series on HBO Max. /BGNES