John Cena built a legacy as one of pro wrestling’s biggest stars during his dominant WWE run. From major SummerSlam main events to historic championship runs, Cena was living the dream. But while the 49-year-old recently admitted to missing the ring more and more each day, there’s a real reason the world-renowned performer won’t make a comeback.
John Cena Said He Often Reflects On His Decades-Long Career As A Pro Wrestler
Speaking with PEOPLE at the New York City premiere of “Matchbox: The Movie,” Cena said his days as a professional wrestler are always top of mind.
“I have moments of nostalgic reflection on the daily,” he said, adding that those moments come when he’s feeling overwhelmed, stressed, or confused.
“Nostalgia is in itself looking back to a simpler time in the unknown or during crisis. I got daily moments of that, man. Daily. I’ll look back on my early wrestling days, or I’ll look back on college days, or I’ll look back on my life in dormitory school, or even as a kid. That happens on the daily, man,” he shared.
John Cena Says He Misses Being Part Of The WWE Every Day, But Reveals Why He’s Against A Comeback
Cena spent 24 years with the WWE, from his early developmental days to his years in the spotlight as one of the entertainment company’s biggest stars.
He retired in December 2025, after tapping out for the first time in his career during a Saturday Night Main Event, according to ESPN.
During the interview with PEOPLE, Cena admitted he misses being part of the WWE roster “every day.”
He went on to say that while he may “miss it here,” pointing to his heart, going back “doesn’t make it the right decision here,” pointing to his head.
John Cena Has Found A New Passion
It’s not all bad for Cena, though. Thankfully, the pro wrestler has other passions to turn to now that he’s out of the ring for good.
According to a previous report from The Blast, Cena spoke with “The Today Show” co-hosts about his love for acting, revealing that it developed years after he was “run out of the movie business.”
“I’m so lucky to be given a second chance. And that took 20 years to craft,” he said before admitting he had an uncomfortable conversation during his early days as an actor and decided to change.
“Man, I think there’s nothing wrong with taking inventory of yourself, looking in the mirror, loving yourself for your strengths and your flaws and trying to work to be better than you were yesterday,” he said.
Another Wrestling Legend Retired From The Sport Years Ago
Cena isn’t the only WWE legend who’s opened up about missing the sport that turned them into household names. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, another WWE champion, discussed his “quiet retirement” from wrestling years ago and revealed why he walked away.
“I miss wrestling, I love wrestling. Yes, I do,” he said. “I quietly retired from wrestling because I was lucky enough to have just a really wonderful career and accomplish what I wanted to accomplish.”
Despite his departure, Johnson admitted to still being electrified by live audiences, especially WWE crowds. “Plus, I grew up in wrestling. For a lot of you guys that don’t know, my grandfather wrestled, my dad as well, my whole family. And I actually had my very first match ever in the WWE, was in Madison Square Garden and it was a big pay-per-view, and it was funny because I credit my time and my journey in pro wrestling to getting me to where I am at today,” he shared.
Johnson Has Also Turned Into A Blockbuster Movie Star
Like Cena, Johnson’s resume also includes a slew of roles outside of the WWE.
From “The Game Plan” to “Fast and Furious” to “Moana,” Johnson’s portfolio only continues to grow, recently starring as Mark Kerr in the sports biography “The Smashing Machine.”
Although the film was a box-office flop, grossing a little over $21 million against a $40 million budget, Johnson was still grateful for the experience, telling Vanity Fair that he previously felt “scared” to accept more serious roles.
“It was very real. I had not experienced that in a very, very, very long time, where I was really scared and thinking, ‘I don’t know if I can do this. Can I do this?’” he said. “I realized that maybe these opportunities weren’t coming my way because I was too scared to explore this stuff.”
Johnson also credited Emily Blunt, who plays his character’s girlfriend, with encouraging him to really go after the role after first approaching him with it.
Blunt, meanwhile, said she knew Johnson was the perfect fit for the character from the very beginning, noting that she had “trust” in his ability to bring the character to life.
“I definitely felt that with Dwayne because it was just so easy, even though the scenes [in The Smashing Machine] were incredibly hardcore and intense and very difficult to get over some of them,” she said.
