John Cena may have built a successful second career in Hollywood, but there is little doubt about which stage still means the most to him.
“I like WWE more,” Cena told fans during a panel at Middle East Film and Comic Con in Abu Dhabi over the weekend.
However, when asked whether he preferred acting or professional wrestling, Cena – who retired from WWE last year – said acting offered him something wrestling could not: longevity.
“The thing I like about acting is I can play a superhero. I can also play an old man if I need to, so I can act for longer than I can wrestle,” he said. “But I wish I could wrestle forever because I love it more than anything.”
It was one of several reflections on the end of a wrestling career that stretched for more than two decades.
With his 50th birthday approaching in April, Cena said he felt fortunate to be ending his career in good health despite the physical toll of wrestling.
“After 2,400 matches, and with me being almost 50 years old and still able to move around, I figured it was time to go,” he said.
There was another consideration, too. Cena said WWE was filled with younger wrestlers looking for the opportunity he once had.
“If you look at the WWE roster right now, it has such a massive crowd of young, hungry talent who want to show the world what they can do,” he said. “A lot of me getting out of the way is hopefully to make way for the next maybe 18-time champ.”
Cena does not appear to feel that retirement has left unfinished business behind. Asked whether there was still a dream match he wished he could have had, he said his career already feels complete.
“I’ve been able to live my dream,” Cena said. “I’ve been able to walk out and be in the arena for over two decades. I don’t think I left anything on the table. There’s not another match in my mind that needs to happen.”
Cena’s wrestling career was defined as much by the reactions he drew from audiences as by the championships he won. For years, cheers for one of WWE’s biggest stars were often matched by equally loud boos. However, he said those fans who rejected him ultimately helped shape him.
“A lot of what’s made me who I am are the fans that booed me for so many years,” Cena said.
He recalled the anxiety of standing alone in the ring as huge crowds told him he “sucked”, and said the experience taught him humility. “And because of that, I’ve had the courage to face adversity in the face and do so with a smile.”
The experience also influenced the way Cena views criticism more broadly. “I enjoy criticism because a genuine critic wants you to be better,” he said. “If someone actually gives you criticism, they’re coaching you.”
Cena said anyone sharing their work or personal life publicly also had to accept negativity. “You can’t share your life and then expect everything to be positive. If you want to put something out there, which is always fun to get likes and follows and traction and go viral, you also got to understand that comes at a cost.”
There were lighter reflections on his wrestling career too.
Asked to name his toughest opponent, Cena did not hesitate. “Without question, Brock Lesnar,” he said. “I don’t have to think twice about that.”
He also chose Andre the Giant when asked which WWE Hall of Famer he would most like to have teamed with.
“If you got pure acceptance from Andre the Giant, it certainly meant that you made it,” Cena said. “And I would like to see if I can win his respect.”
Speaking to an aspiring wrestler in the audience, Cena said his own ambitions had once been far simpler than winning championships or headlining WrestleMania.
“My goal was to wrestle in front of people,” he said. “Whether it’s five people, 5,000 people or 50,000 people. Every time you get a chance to wrestle, go out and do the thing you love.”
Cena ended the panel on a more local note, reflecting on the time he has spent in Abu Dhabi over several visits.
He recalled visiting Ferrari World, Yas Marina and Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, but said something rather different had stood out during his latest trip: the city’s coffee scene.
“I went to so many great cafes over the past few days. As someone who’s a fan of coffee, I didn’t know this was such a great place for it,” he said.
There is still at least one Abu Dhabi experience left on his list. “I need to go race on the dunes,” he said. “That’s one thing I’m putting in the back of my head.”
