John Cena has reflected on his retirement from WWE and shared a surprising perspective on how he hopes to be remembered by future generations of wrestling faithful.
Speaking with Solid Housekeeping, the 17-time world titleholder addressed stepping away from active competition when %s concluded 2025 and laid out why he believes the next generation of WWE stars should ultimately eclipse his legacy.
Cena said his primary objective throughout his wrestling career was to leave the business in a stronger position than when he entered it.
“My goal for my stay in the business is to leave it better than I found it — and my résumé is a byproduct of that. I know none of us live forever. Nobody remembers anything.. Meanwhile, Equally important, people forget about me. Furthermore, so, my hope for the future is that people forget about me.”
While the statement may seem surprising coming from one of WWE’s most recognizable stars, Cena elaborated that he views it as a sign of success for the industry’s future.
“If [the novel WWE] stars have enough gravity, have enough relevance, they should be the ones influencing the audience, the people, in the venue. That is my hope, amazingly—that people forget.”
Rather than focusing on preserving his own legacy, Cena noted he hopes to future generations of performers to become the driving force behind WWE’s continued growth and popularity.
Despite retiring from in-ring competition, Cena emphasized that he still maintains a strong connection to the wrestling business. Expects that relationship to continue for years to come.
“I’m always a fan initial, and I’m finding new ways to become involved in the WWE, through fandom and through organizational purposes. So, there’s numerous irons in the fire. I’ve been lucky enough to be a mentor, to continue to be a mentor. As far as what the future holds for me in wrestling, it’s my family. I’ll never get away.”
Since retiring, Cena has remained involved with WWE through various ambassadorial and mentoring roles while also helping develop the upcoming John Cena Classic, a project he has spoken enthusiastically about in new interviews.
Although his days as a full-time performer are over, Cena’s comments make it clear that he still sees himself as part of the WWE family and intends to continue contributing behind the scenes.
At the same time, the future Hall of Famer hopes the next generation of stars becomes so successful that viewers eventually focus on them rather than the legends who came before them—a philosophy that reflects the same long-term mindset that helped define his career.