Since showing “Ruthless Aggression” in his WWE debut in 2002, John Cena has become an iconic figure in the world of pro wrestling. Considered one of the greatest to wear wrestling boots sneakers and jorts, Cena helped further popularize WWE following the Attitude Era.
From the “Doctor of Thuganomics” to a multi-time world champion and “Super Cena,” Cena always gets mixed results. That has helped him become a polarizing figure and a true giant in the industry.
While he has focused on his movie and TV career as of late (starring in The Marine, The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, Daddy’s Home, and F9), Cena always remembers where he came from. Giving back to WWE has been something Cena relishes, whether to promote a top talent or enhance a story.
What is the status of John Cena now? Here is all you need to know about the WWE icon and where he stands in the pro wrestling world.
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Did John Cena retire from WWE?
Though no longer a full-time wrestler, Cena is not officially retired from wrestling.
While he doesn’t had the same schedule as when he was in his prime in the late 2000s, Cena still occasionally wrestles. His last match was in December 2022, when he teamed with Kevin Owens to face Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn on an episode of SmackDown.
Regarding how long he plans to continue competing, Cena was honest when speaking with Chris Hardwick on the ID10T podcast.
“Returning to WWE, it’s a brand new world. A new cast of characters, new direction with the company, new platforms, new environment. There is a challenge there,” Cena said via Fightful. “To challenge myself as a 44-year-old to go back, there is an intrinsic challenge there, a set of circumstances. That’s a good challenge in many ways. My body could tell me after this extended stay, ‘dude, you’re done,’ or it could tell me, ‘You’re so far from done it’s crazy.’ That’s another interesting conversation with myself. If physically, I’m slower, I’ve said openly to everyone that I will keep doing this until I feel I’m offending the customer. I will continually go out there and do what I can to contribute and add. I don’t want to go out there and be like, ‘Okay, just let him go out there and (do his thing).’ I’m not into that because I know what it’s like to pay for a ticket.
“If I were to get that on this go-round, it’s a humbling and tough thing that I will have to hurdle. If I get the opposite and it’s like, ‘You’re quicker and can do some things better and define a new personality,’ then that’s a new conversation because I do not have much time left, and if I want to give it like, ‘let’s really commit to this thing and really go all in,’ that’s an honest choice where other stuff will have to take a backseat.”
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John Cena next match: WWE schedule in 2023
Cena has not competed in any matches in 2023. He has teased returning to the ring and will get to do so at WrestleMania 39.
Beyond the WWE’s marquee event, its unknown whether Cena will appear again this year.
Who will John Cena wrestle next in WWE?
Cena returns to the ring at WrestleMania 39 on April 1, opening the event against WWE United States Champion Austin Theory for the title.
An influence on Theory’s career, Cena has been called out by Theory several times. In early March, Theory challenged Cena to a match, stating that Cena gave up on the audience. Cena accepted, as one of his catchphrases is “Never Give Up.” Since then, the two have engaged in a war of words.
Theory is ready to take down the man he owes everything to in the ring.
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“Being eight years old and knowing what I wanted to do for the rest of my life because of John Cena, and that was to be a WWE Superstar,” Theory told TMZ Sports. “That was the first time I saw him wrestling, and I was inspired. And I went straight to the TV, and I’d watch John every single week… In that moment, it’s very cool to be out there with John Cena, but I’m in a different place now… I want to be the first Austin Theory, and I want people to see that. I don’t want to be a rip-off of anybody, and at WrestleMania, I’m going to show everybody just how different Austin Theory is.”
The match has been booked as “The Then” vs. “The Now” in WWE.
How many WWE titles has John Cena won?
Here is a complete breakdown of every WWE title that Cena has won over the course of his Hall of Fame career.
| Titles | Number of times Cena has won |
|---|---|
Championship |
|