Is he retiring or what? Well, it would appear Cena is slowly sliding into the backseat of the WWE Universe. As much as a wrestler may come to love its dysfunctional ways, the body can be weak when the will is strong. At some point, a wrestler must consider other options. At 43, John Cena certainly has to contemplate his future. He’s not slowing down, though. Seeing how he’s obtained a role as Peacemaker in the upcoming Suicide Squad sequel along with being the co-star in the new animated series Dallas & Robo, Cena is discreetly plotting his life after wrestling. Conversely, there are reports of Cena stating that he never plans to retire from the WWE. Moreover, many of his recent public comments are explanatory and supportive of WWE’s current transitions. From the looks of it, one could presume Cena is gliding quietly into part-time status but remaining full-time spokesperson.
If you look at the WWE website, Cena is still listed as an active member of the roster yet he hasn’t performed in a wrestling capacity since WrestleMania 36. More than likely Cena will follow in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s footsteps, as he does more and more Hollywood projects yet leaves himself available in the event the WWE has something good enough for him. Those familiar with the WWE Universe can certainly admit that the current tide is making Cena’s presence less necessary. The lack of a live audience makes the “Let’s go, Cena! / Cena SUCKS!” chant irrelevant and to an extent, outdated. Cena’s gimmick, “Never Give Up” and the bright colours for kids are also becoming less popular. WWE appears to be heading toward the more mature side of the TV-PG rating which leaves Cena essentially babysitting the kids 10 and under. Cena comes out hyping for a school assembly while everyone else is trying to earn their street-cred with the kids’ parents. Cena slipping out the back is probably a wise decision.
So, when will we see Cena wrestle again, if ever? Well, that depends more on WWE’s creative department. The booking would have to be solid and so a major PPV is probably the best bet. There were rumours that he’d make an appearance for this year’s Summer Slam but we all saw that turned out to be bogus. Yet, that doesn’t mean he won’t turn up at some point. It just may not be until WWE has a better grasp of how to handle providing entertainment during the COVID Pandemic. They may wait until they get the “all clear” before they proposition any potential draws.
In Cena’s case, he’s probably going to have to wait for another part-timer. The word is that Goldberg has a few more appearances on his contract so, don’t rule out a showdown. If they can set it up right, that might be a surprise of a match in a good way. Cena can perform and he could probably counter Goldberg well enough to get a decent match out of him. We can also consider Brock Lesnar since COVID has put him in a weird place. Lesnar choosing to only show up when it’s worth his while makes him look even worse in the face of the hard-working wrestlers who have shown up anyway. Nowadays, as much as Lesnar milked that angle, he is more in a position to prove himself if he cares to. Someone like Cena may be just the person to do him a favour. There are a lot of possibilities but as long as WWE’s creative department remains unfocused, he shouldn’t be expected to wrestle anytime soon. He’s been gone long enough that the return would have to be well thought out. Presently, given how matters are up in the air, it’s safe to conclude WWE just doesn’t have a good enough reason to orchestrate Cena’s return.