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 fans.
Speaking with Good Housekeeping, the 17-time world champion discussed stepping away from active competition at the end of 2025 and explained 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. People forget about me. 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 explained that he views it as a sign of success for the industry’s future.
“If [the new WWE] stars have enough gravity, have enough relevance, they should be the ones influencing the audience, the people, in the arena. That is my hope, amazingly—that people forget.”
Rather than focusing on preserving his own legacy, Cena said he wants 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 and expects that relationship to continue for years to come.
“I’m always a fan first, and I’m finding new ways to become involved in the WWE, through fandom and through organizational purposes. I’ve been lucky enough to be a mentor, to continue to be a mentor. So, there’s a lot of irons in the fire. 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 recent 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 fans 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.
