By India McCarty
John Cena might be getting ready to say goodbye to the WWE, but the champion wrestler still plans to give his last match in the ring his “best shot.”
“I feel a little bit slower,” Cena told the Boston Herald of his impending retirement. “I’m not as strong as I was. I look at all the current superstars, and they’ve earned the right to chase their dreams. For me, it’s time.”
The wrestler has been with the WWE since 2001. Cena has taken home the world championship belt 17 times — the most times that belt has been awarded in WWE history.
While he’s a major force in the world of wrestling, Cena still plans to give his all when it comes time for that final match.
“I’ve been doing this for 23 years, and I’ve never once chosen my opponent,” he shared. “I’ve always lived by the philosophy that life will give you opportunities every single day, and you have to do the best you can every single day with what life gives you. So whoever challenges me for that last match, I’m going to give it my best shot.”
Cena announced his retirement from the ring last summer, telling the audience, “The 2025 Royal Rumble will be my last. The 2025 Elimination Chamber will be my last. And I’m here tonight to announce that in Las Vegas, WrestleMania 2025 will be the last I compete in.”
“Thank you so much for letting me play in the house that you built for so many years,” he continued. “Thank you so much always for your voice because it’s really loud, and your honesty because it’s beautifully brutal.”
Cena has been open about the reasons behind his retirement, citing age as well as a desire to spend more time with his wife.
“A schedule like I was doing in 2013 would destroy me right now,” he said during an episode of WWE’s WHAT’S YOUR STORY? “It will ruin me and ruin my relationship, and that’s the tip of my spear. So I gotta close a chapter, that’s it.”
He added, “The greatest gift is waking up. And that is the tip of my spear. And right below that is my bride.”
Related: John Cena Announces Retirement from Professional Wrestling
Cena also has a thriving acting career, including the upcoming season of DC Studios’ PEACEMAKER, where he will reprise his role as the titular character.
“This has changed my life,” he told PEOPLE of the role. “It’s a great show that’s more than just action. It’s a love story. It’s a workplace comedy. We’re the long shots, the lovable losers.”
While WWE fans might be disappointed to see Cena take his final bow in the ring, it’s clear the 17-time champ is ready to start a new chapter.
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