John Cena reveals how much he misses WWE after retiring less than a year ago
Cena says he misses performing in front of WWE fans but knows retirement was the right choice
John Cena may have walked away from WWE , but the former world champion admits the emotional distance hasn't been nearly as easy as the physical one.
Less than a year after ending his in-ring career, Cena says he still misses almost everything about wrestling, from the roar of the crowd to the feeling of performing live.
Speaking to People at the New York City premiere of Matchbox: The Movie on October 5, the 49-year-old star revealed that nostalgia has become a regular part of his life.
“I have moments of nostalgic reflection on the daily. A lot of times, that’s when you’re overwhelmed by stress or confused or maybe you don’t know the answers that you’re trying to seek,” said Cena .
“Nostalgia is in itself looking back to a simpler time in the unknown or during crisis. I got daily moments of that, man. Daily.
“I’ll look back on my early wrestling days, or I’ll look back on college days, or I’ll look back on my life in dormitory school, or even as a kid. That happens on the daily, man.”
Cena officially retired from WWE in December 2025 following an extraordinary 24-year career. During that time, he became one of the company's most recognizable performers and captured a record 17 world championships.
His final full-time run also included some major career moments, including a surprising heel turn and another world title victory in 2025.
Despite how much he misses the business, however, Cena isn't planning a return to competition. He explained that his heart still longs for wrestling, but his mind understands that stepping away was the right decision.
Cena's second act is taking shape
Retirement has also given Cena the opportunity to focus more completely on a Hollywood career that once looked far less certain. The actor recently opened up about the difficulties he experienced early in his movie career, admitting that he wasn't always as invested in filmmaking as he should've been.
Cena explained that wrestling consumed his attention as a young performer. He loved traveling around the world, appearing in front of huge crowds and performing night after night.
Compared with that environment, movie production seemed slow and unfamiliar, something he didn't have the maturity to fully appreciate at the time.
"I got [run] out of the movie business for not caring, and that's justifiably so. If you don't care about something, give somebody the opportunity that does,” said Cena .
His perspective has changed considerably. Cena now says he's grateful for the second chance Hollywood gave him and believes it took years of personal growth to understand what the opportunity meant. That evolution has helped him establish himself as a major screen performer, with credits including Barbie, Fast X and The Suicide Squad.
Although Cena's competitive wrestling days are over, his relationship with WWE isn't disappearing. Before retiring, he said he hoped to remain connected to the WWE family and contribute in a mentor role.
He also returned to the company after his retirement to host WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, demonstrating that leaving the ring doesn't mean completely leaving the organization behind.
While Cena may miss the ring every day, his comments suggest he's at peace with the decision to move forward. His wrestling career may be finished, but his next chapter is already well underway.
