Nick Khan Explains Why WWE Will Never Create Another John Cena

Nick Khan explains why there is no "next" John Cena...

By Connor Casey

WWE President Nick Khan sat down with The Ringer's Bill Simmons this week to discuss WWE's merger with The UFC into a new company, TKO Group. When the subject of creating new stars came up Khan mentioned 16-time world champion and Hollywood star John Cena and how the company will not try to recreate another Cena in the future. That isn't a knock against the current WWE roster as though none of them can reach his level of fame, but rather that WWE doesn't intend to retrace its steps in building up the next star. 

"You get a John Cena, and part of the fun is that we just need to find the next John Cena. There is no next John Cena. The next one never looks like the last one. If you look at UFC, same thing... Sometimes one, or an entity, can become fixated on, 'Hey, this is our next so and so.' I've never seen it work. LA Knight is the first LA Knight, and that's part of why we think that he's resonating," Khan said (h/t Wrestling Inc.). 

John Cena Talks Final WWE Match

Cena recently returned to WWE TV and is advertised for the next couple of months on Friday Night SmackDown. While his only match so far was at the Superstar Spectacle live event in India, Cena also recently discussed his final in-ring performance being on the horizon. 

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"As I said out there in the ring, the last one is not tonight, but I know it's soon," Cena said. "Every single chance I get to go out there becomes more and more special. There is no denying the fact that I'm 46 and staring down 47. I've been here for over two decades. As I said out there in the ring, the last one is not tonight, but I know it's soon. To speak candidly, when you're involved in this every day in a full-time capacity, you just think about what's next."

"The WWE Universe being gracious to invite me and allow me back to be part of this family, for the last two or three years, I've been able to focus on what's now. I never miss any of those wonderful moments in the ring. I know it may sound repetitive, but so is me saying 'Never give up,' and I never mind saying that, so I never mind saying 'thank you' to the people that make this special," he added. "Without them and them caring, I don't get to come back."

WWE Superstar Spectacle 2023 Results

  • Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn vs. Indus Sher (No Contest)
  • Drew McIntyre, Kevin Owens & Sami Zaun def. Indus Sher (Jinder Mahal, Veer & Sanga)
  • Natalya def. Zoey Stark
  • WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther def. Shanky
  • Bron Breakker def. Odyssey Jones
  • Women's World Championship: Rhea Ripley def. Natalya
  • John Cena & Seth Rollins def. Imperium (Ludwig Kaiser & Giovanni Vinci)

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