John Cena has rubbished rumours he is set to quit the WWE and insisted he "will never retire".
The 42-year-old has enjoyed a career with the franchise spanning almost two decades after making his debut in 2002.
Cena burst onto the scene in a bout with Kurt Angle on Smackdown and quickly became a fan favourite.
After a total of 17 years and 16 world titles later, Cena has taken a back step in recent years, featuring less and less as he focuses on his movie career.
But despite his advancing years, Cena was adamant that retirement was not something he was considering.
“WWE is my family, they’ll always be my family and none of any of this exists without them, and I will never forget that," Cena told Good Housekeeping .
“I don’t think I’ll ever retire, because I don’t look at it like that … You don’t retire from your family. I will never, ever stop waving the WWE flag … I don't think I’ll ever separate myself from them.”
Cena last appeared on a WWE show twice this year, when he made a shock return at Wrestlemania 35 in April, followed by a special reunion on Raw.
He has recently been filming in London for Fast and the Furious 9, with another of his films, Playing with Fire, due for release next month.
And despite denouncing suggestions of impending retirement, Cena admitted his advancing years were beginning to play a role.
He added: “As a 42-year-old, going to be 43 in April … I already know that I’m a little lighter, I’m a little slower, I’m not as strong, so all of the physical signs are like, ‘I’m here, I’m here, I’m here.’
“I can’t lie to myself and say those things aren’t happening. They are.
“And either I accommodate my performance, or just say, ‘Hey, it’s time to do something different.’”
