John Cena would rather be wrestling than acting.
The 49-year-old actor has made the transition from WWE to Hollywood in recent years with roles in the likes of Peacemaker, Heads of State and Little Brother, but eight months after his wrestling retirement he has revealed where his true passions lie.
Opening up about the "thrilling" nature of a live crowd, he told Amy Poehler's Good Hang podcast; "That's why I wanted to do it forever and just physically, I can't do it anymore.
"That's why when anyone says, 'What do you like more?' Wrestling... The moment. The excitement. I want to be there now!"
Cena noted that he loved the "challenge" of adapting to a live audience, no matter what's going on "in the stands".
He explained: "When you get fluent at it, then you like, 'Oh, I kind of understand this. I'll do this.'
"Then the challenge becomes, 'Oh, man, the UK crowd is throwing a beach ball around. How the f*** do I work that into the act?' 'Go out and get that thing and pop it and come back and I'm going to give you my finish.'
"Other people get married, some people start fights in the stands, and we work it all into the act."
Cena called time on his in-ring career at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event on December 13, 2025, as he lost his final match to GUNTHER.
He previously explained how "data" told him it was time to retire.
He told Sports Illustrated: "As much as I love feel and I love passion, I also love data.
"I'm a strength athlete, so I consistently test one-rep max. I test vertical jump, all of these metrics — whatever they tested at the combine.
"When these numbers start to go down, you look at it like, 'Okay, why? I'm getting plenty of rest. I'm training on a regular schedule. I'm not eating like garbage. I'm hydrated. My caffeine intake is monitored. All the data lines up. You should be strong.'
"And then you look at the age graphic, and you're like, 'Oh, man.'"
Cena admitted he started thinking about retirement when he was 45, and while he could have found a way to keep going, it didn't feel like the "respectful" thing to do.
He explained: "The game just looks too fast for me, because it is.
"I could change my style at the risk of ruining that energy that WWE invested in me. And that's tough, because from an ego standpoint, you've got to step away from the audience.
"I love it. It's great, but that's not respectful to the fans and it's not respectful to the company."
