John Cena Says WWE’s Modern Style Forced Him Into Retirement

TLDR

John Cena explained on the Sports Illustrated Takedown podcast that he decided to retire from WWE competition because modern WWE talent are performing at a physical speed he can no longer match. Cena said he tracks his physical performance through various metrics and realized his numbers were declining despite his training efforts, leading him to step away rather than risk damaging his legacy or being disrespectful to fans, the company, and new talent. He stressed that his retirement is permanent and fans should not expect any surprise comeback matches, though he plans to remain involved with WWE creatively.