John Cena has explained why he decided to change his appearance on WWE television following his retirement from in-ring competition, revealing that his decision to move away from his signature jorts was about more than simply updating his wardrobe.
The former WWE Champion recently spoke with Sports Illustrated about his post-retirement appearances, addressing why he has continued wearing casual clothing rather than exclusively appearing in suits.
Cena made it clear that although fans may have noticed him wearing shorts during recent appearances in Brooklyn and on NXT, they were not the denim shorts that became synonymous with his wrestling career.
“Those weren’t jorts in Brooklyn, and they weren’t jorts on NXT. I’m wearing cargo shorts. I’m not wearing any wristbands, I don’t have a towel and I don’t have any knee pads. So, when I said the jorts are retired, the f—-ing jorts are retired.”
Cena explained that his original intention was to establish a clear visual distinction between his days as an active WWE Superstar and his new role following retirement. However, he discovered that appearing in formal clothing did not necessarily convince fans that his wrestling career was over.
“I don’t wanna confuse the consumer. If I show up in dress shoes in a suit with a pocket watch, hopefully the consumer isn’t gonna think one more match. John’s not really done. That didn’t work. They still chanted one more match. And I love wearing suits. Also, Cody Rhodes gets beat up in suits. So, the one thing I was trying to accomplish was really murky.”
Beyond the message his wardrobe sends to viewers, Cena also discussed the practical difficulties of wearing suits during WWE appearances.
Having spent years interacting with audiences and moving around the ring, Cena admitted that formal clothing made it harder to enjoy those moments in the way he prefers.
“How do I feel most at home here? I love running to the ring. I love when the energy of the audience is there, and I can bounce around the ropes. If you look at WrestleMania, and those events that I show up in Tampa in a suit, I’m walking [very] carefully to the ring. The bottom of those shoes are slick, and I like a fitted suit, so I’m also worried about busting my pants.”
Ultimately, Cena decided that wearing comfortable, everyday clothing would allow him to feel more like himself while still distinguishing his retired persona from the character fans watched compete for more than two decades.
He also acknowledged that some viewers might interpret his return to shorts as contradicting his previous statements about retiring his familiar wrestling attire.
“I’m gonna bear the burden if people have the opinion [that I] went back on [my] word… but I changed my mind. I think the cargoes, the sneaks, the T-shirt, and the ball cap- that’s what I would wear to the event anyway, as a fan. So why don’t I wear that?”
While Cena’s appearance may still resemble elements of his longtime WWE look, he emphasized that his signature jorts and wrestling accessories remain retired.
For Cena, the change allows him to continue enjoying the energy of WWE audiences without presenting himself exactly as he did during his active wrestling career.
