John Cena is a Hollywood actor nowadays and has appeared in some massive movie franchises such as “Fast and Furious” and now defunct DC Cinematic Universe (DCU). However, Cena never forgets his roots and where he came from and that’s the WWE. Without his pro-wrestling career, Cena would not have been a worldwide phenomenon.
However, it almost did not happen! John Cena has gone through some bizarre gimmick changes inside the Stamford-based promotion since his debut. Infamously, he made his professional wrestling debut under the gimmick, ‘The Prototype.’ However, that was before he signed with WWE in 2001.
After the highly successful attitude era, WWE was preparing for a new era called ‘Ruthless Aggression.’ On June 27, 2002, Cena made his first WWE appearance as he answered Kurt Angle’s open challenge. Although he put on an amazing performance against the Olympic Gold Medalist, Cena’s career floundered as he failed to get over with the fans.
However, that’s when luck favored him and Stephanie McMahon heard him rap. After that, Cena was repackaged under the ‘Doctor of Thuganomics’ gimmick, and his career shot off to the stratosphere! But, fans have always wondered what he would have done if WWE actually had released him in 2002. In a recent interview, the leader of Cenation answered the query!
Speaking to Chris Van Vliet, Cena revealed, “I would have been fired in 2 months. That tour was in October and I would have been a part of the December cuts.” He continued, “Before I was a professional, before WWE was paying me, I was doing it as a hobby. And, I told myself I would do it as a hobby until I couldn’t do it anymore. When I found wrestling, I wasn’t like ‘Man I’m gonna make boat loads of money doing this.'”
“It was like I’m gonna find a sh*t job that will be flexible with hours, so I can work. And, I think I just would have worked,” concluded the WWE star. Cena also added that he lived with his father for a period of time and had to do indie shows for a living. And, from his words, it seems like the 46-year-old would have been wrestling in smaller shows even if his WWE career didn’t go well.
When will John Cena retire from WWE?
John Cena was the poster boy of wrestling from 2005 to 2013 and during his tenure at the top, WWE reached new heights and broke new boundaries. Hence, there is a lot of nostalgia and fanfare every time he comes back to the promotion. However, at the age of 46, there is a lot of doubt about whether he will continue wrestling or not. During his IMPAULSIVE appearance, Cena told Logan Paul that he was going to retire from the business soon.
However, during the interview with Chris Van Vliet, Cena seems to have backpedaled slightly. He said, “I have often said that the time is coming for me to hang them up and I’m not lying when I say, but it’s not tomorrow. It’s probably soon but not tomorrow, so you never know.” When asked about his favorite title reign, Cena simply added, “My next one.”
Is John Cena going to win #17? pic.twitter.com/mvt06I4vNG
— Chris Van Vliet (@ChrisVanVliet) March 4, 2024
While he did not confirm any future appearances, John Cena has refused to rule out an immediate retirement. With WrestleMania 40 around the corner, it will be interesting to see if he takes some time out to treat the fans. Cena’s last appearance was at Survivor Series 2023, where he was squashed by Solo Sikoa. Will he return anytime soon? Remains to be seen.