John Cena is one of the most popular performers in WWE history. However, with his long absences from the company becoming more frequent due to his acting commitments, fans are concerned about what his wrestling future looks like.
Cena has wrestled just one televised match in the last three years. He returned to WWE last July to confront Universal Champion Roman Reigns, before losing to the ‘Tribal Chief’ at SummerSlam.
The match lasted exactly 23 minutes, and Cena put on a strong showing despite defeat. However, WWE fans have not seen him since.
That is because of his ever-growing presence on the big screen. The 44-year-old features in three films due for release this year, whilst he also plays the eponymous lead role in new superhero series ‘Peacemaker’.
Cena is not publicly scheduled to appear at this year’s WrestleMania. He is not on the card for a second consecutive year.
His last in-ring match at ‘The Show of Shows’ was back at WrestleMania 34 in 2018, when he lost to The Undertaker in under three minutes. He later competed in a cinematic ‘Firefly Funhouse’ match against Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36.
Cena hints at his future wrestling plans
Cena is currently working a part-time schedule for WWE, although fans still hope that he can return for one final full-time run in the company.
In an interview with GQ Magazine, however, Cena revealed how he sees his future panning out – and it is sad news for fans who want him to compete on a regular basis.
He explained: “I miss [the touring lifestyle] every day. Every single day. But I’ll be 45 on April 23, and I was very fortunate to make it as long as I did with only a minor list of injuries. Nothing that has changed the trajectory of my health.
“I’m strong, flexible and in really good shape externally, internally. I think now, being a full-time touring performer might start to hit that point of diminishing returns, and I have to be realistic when I look at that.”
Is John Cena currently under contract with WWE?
John Cena is currently signed with WWE and is still listed on their website as a current in-ring performer.
The American signed a contract to appear at 15 live events between July and August last year as part of the ‘Summer of Cena‘. The 44-year-old exclusively wrestled in dark matches and WWE Supershow events, with his televised Raw and SmackDown appearances used to build up to his SummerSlam match against Reigns.
Details on the 16-time world champion’s current contract are unclear. He is referred to as a ‘free agent’ on televised programming. In addition, he was not involved in the recent WWE Draft that took place in October.
WWE fans will be desperate to see Cena make a return soon. However, they will unfortunately now have to accept that his full-time wrestling days are likely over.
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