When last we saw John Cena, he was being unceremoniously destroyed at WWE Crown Jewel by Solo Sikoa. Considering that he spent plenty of time during the build to that match calling it a must-win and reminding fans of how long it had been since he won a one-on-one WWE match, it was a little surprising in the moment.
With time to reflect on that booking decision, however, it makes perfect sense for a legend like Cena to put over a younger talent like Sikoa on his way out the door. The question is whether Cena is saying so long for now or really thinking it might be his final time in a WWE ring.
A post to Cena’s Instagram account this week reinforced the farewell theme without providing a definite answer.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzbMAbnOREJ/
That came on the heels of his previous Instagram post, which was a shot of Babe Ruth during his final game at Yankee Stadium.
It’s possible that Cena is actually contemplating retirement. He’s 46, has a blossoming post-WWE career, and literally has nothing left to accomplish in pro wrestling. Cena wrestled these past few months because he wanted to, not because he needed to.
Or, Cena could simply be acknowledging that said post-WWE career can continue now that the SAG-AFTRA strike, one of the longest work stoppages in Hollywood history, is over. The hold on movie and TV filming due to the strike was what made Cena available for his most recent WWE stint in the first place, but his projects should get rolling again in short order.
The guess here is that Cena vs. Sikoa won’t be his absolute last match in WWE, as he’s given so much to the company that it seems only right that WWE allow him to go out with one more victory at some point. That said, this 2023 run could have been Cena’s final stint as a semi-regular presence, making it the end of an era for sure.
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