John Cena has revealed how “data” told him it was time to retire from WWE.
John Cena has reflected on his WWE retirement
The 49-year-old wrestling legend turned Hollywood megastar called time on his in-ring career after a match against GUNTHER at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December 2025, and 6 months later he has reflected on how he realised the tough decision he had to make.
He told Sports Illustrated: “As much as I love feel and I love passion, I also love data.
“I’m a strength athlete, so I consistently test one-rep max. I test vertical jump, all of these metrics — whatever they tested at the combine.
“When these numbers start to go down, you look at it like, ‘Okay, why? I’m getting plenty of rest. I’m training on a regular schedule. I’m not eating like garbage. I’m hydrated. My caffeine intake is monitored. All the data lines up. You should be strong.’
“And then you look at the age graphic, and you’re like, ‘Oh, man.'”
Cena admitted he started thinking about retirement when he was 45, and while he could have found a way to keep going, it didn’t feel like the “respectful” thing to do.
He explained: “The game just looks too fast for me, because it is.
“I could change my style at the risk of ruining that energy that WWE invested in me. And that’s tough, because from an ego standpoint, you’ve got to step away from the audience.
“I love it. It’s great, but that’s not respectful to the fans and it’s not respectful to the company.”
Cena is still involved in WWE, having appeared as the host of WrestleMania 42 last month, and at Backlash earlier in May where he announced plans for the John Cena Classic event, which will showcase the stars of the future.
Away from wrestling, the 17-time world champion has recently being diagnosed with Demodex Blepharitis, also known as eyelid mites, having teamed up with Tarsus to promote their “FDA-approved treatment”.
He explained: “I’m 49, I read a lot, and I started reading pages three times. I also had itchy eyes, red eyes, eye crusties. We all get them.
“I was self-diagnosing like an idiot. I was like, ‘I’m getting old. This is just how my life is.’
“I went to an eye doctor. The eye doctor was like, ‘Yep, you’re right, your eyes are gone.’ He also said something I didn’t know: ‘You have eyelid mites.’ “
He was prescribed the company’s eye XDEMVY eyedrops, which have helped with the issue.
He told PEOPLE magazine: “Now, I still need my readers, but I don’t have that redness, that itchiness and certainly not waking up with the crusties.”
