John Cena Addresses WWE Future After Super Show-Down Victory

John Cena has never been so absent from WWE. And even though he did compete and win at Super Show Down over the weekend, no one knows when we’ll see the 16-time World Champion in the ring again.

Thanks to ballooning opportunities in Hollywood, Super Show-Down was only Cena’s third match since WrestleMania 34. While it’s hard to imagine Cena being gone from WWE for good, it does look like this limited wrestling schedule will become his new normal.

“WWE has always been my home and will always be my home,” Cena said after pinning Elias at SSD. “I have no idea what the future holds so I’m focusing on the now, and right now I’m standing in front of 70,000 plus people saying ‘what!?’ 70,000 people making some noise.”

Michael Cole spent much of Cena’s match declaring that The Doctor of Thuganomics was indeed the greatest WWE Superstar of all time. While this doesn’t indicate much, it does signal that WWE is aware Cena’s best moments are likely behind him. Before his cameo at SSD, Cena did post a message the fed sentiment that he could be done with WWE.

It’s worth noting that many of Cena’s recent matches in WWE were capped off by him giving some form of goodbye. Whether it was leaving his patented bicep band in the ring, or staring wistfully into the crowd, Cena has been tip-toeing around retirement for at least two years.

However, Cena himself confirmed that 2018 would see him wrestle less than any previous year. In an interview with ESPN, Cena proclaimed that he’ll always return to WWE but now seems like a good time for him to take a lesser role.

“I’m far from done with the WWE. The WWE will always be my home, but in this current state of affairs right now with all this extra cool stuff that’s going on, it’s fun to try. It’s a great time to be able to take a chance and I’m so eternally grateful to the WWE and its audience for bringing me to this point. I realize I’d be nowhere without them and I never forget them. I promise as soon as I have any sort of downtime, like I had when I was at the Greatest Royal Rumble and the string of shows I did before WrestleMania, anytime free time I get will not be free, it will be spent at my home in the WWE,” he said.

Cena’s stepping back is aligned with the rise of Roman Reigns and Ronda Rousey. for over a decade WWE belonged to Cena. But Vince McMahon has clearly picked his lead horses for the near future and Cena is well aware that he no longer needs to carry the company.

“I don’t feel like they’re dependent on me in any way. I think the program is riveting as it stands and there are so many gifted young performers that deserve a chance and have earned a chance so there couldn’t be a better time for me to take a break,” he said.