Cena retired from WWE in December 2025, closing out a year long farewell tour that capped more than two decades on the roster dating back to his 2002 debut. He has remained visible around the company since then, including hosting WrestleMania 42 in April 2026, while continuing to mentor talent behind the scenes.

My goal for my stay in the business is to leave it better than I found it and my résumé is a byproduct of that. I know none of us live forever. Nobody remembers anything. People forget about me. So, my hope for the future is that people forget about me.

Cena stressed that the comment is not meant to dismiss what he accomplished. He wants current and future WWE stars to carry the spotlight and shape what happens in the arena.

If the new WWE stars have enough gravity have enough relevance, they should be the ones influencing the audience, the people, in the arena. That is my hope, amazingly, that people forget.

Even with his retirement tour finished, Cena said wrestling remains central to his life and that he is still finding ways to stay involved with WWE through fandom and organizational work.

I'm always a fan first, and I'm finding new ways to become involved in the WWE, through fandom and through organizational purposes. I've been lucky enough to be a mentor, to continue to be a mentor. So, there's a lot of irons in the fire. As far as what the future holds for me in wrestling, it's my family. I'll never get away.