John Cena is happy he doesn’t have to take any more bumps and bruises in a WWE ring, but there is one thing that he misses about being an active WWE Superstar.
Cena appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to promote his new film, Little Brother. During the conversation, Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon mentioned Cena’s in-ring retirement and asked if he missed the training or taking bumps and bodyslams.
Cena admitted that he didn’t miss those aspects of being a WWE Superstar, but shared what he misses most.
“No! No, what I miss is the audience, the energy that I feel when I come from [behind] the curtain,” John Cena said. “I miss this [motions towards the cheering audience].”
John Cena says his body told him it was time to retire
Cena went on to say that he had to retire because his body couldn’t take it anymore.
“I had to walk away because I can’t get bodyslammed anymore,” Cena admitted. “It was time, yes indeed.”
Cena went on to say that Tuesday used to be a little “jagged.” He slowly stood up and joked about how hard getting out of bed was. Now, he said, Tuesdays are much easier on his body.
John Cena retired from in-ring competition in December 2025 after a loss to Gunther. Despite not wrestling anymore, Cena has continued to make occasional appearances on WWE TV. Cena hosted WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, and he returned the next month to announce the John Cena Classic at WWE Backlash.
John Cena stars in Little Brother with Eric Andre, who was attacked by Jacob Fatu on WWE RAW as part of an on-air tie-in for the film. The movie will be released on Netflix on June 26.
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