John Cena’s in-ring career may have ended with a submission loss to Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event, but his optimism for the wrestling business has never been higher.
Before his final match in Washington, D.C., Cena appeared on The Pat McAfee Show to discuss the state of the industry. Reflecting on his 26-year tenure, which spanned the Ruthless Aggression and PG eras, Cena argued that the current landscape surpasses even the most celebrated periods in history.
“To answer, never been a better time than right now. There have been the Golden Era, the boom of the Attitude Era. This is like sustained, incredible growth through all platforms,” Cena said. “And expansion, and more content, and allowing people to get out there and do what they do. There’s never been a better time.”
Cena also highlighted the unprecedented depth of the current roster, noting a significant shift from his early days when the company relied heavily on a few key players.
“The talent roster is deep. I mean, we used to look to the bullpen. It used to be a only a couple guys on the bench. Now we got people elbowing for spots,” he explained. “If you’re one of the active participants, it’s never been a better time to be a WWE superstar. You get paid the most it’s ever seen to train. You get paid the most — numbers that I couldn’t even think about.”
However, Cena was candid about aspects of the modern product he struggles with, specifically the behind-the-scenes reality series WWE Unreal.
“I’m not the biggest fan of Unreal, and I’ve told the producers of Unreal that. But I also say, ‘Hey, just because I don’t like it doesn’t mean it isn’t right.’… Just because it makes me feel uncomfortable — if it’s a success, maybe I got to look in the mirror and ask myself, ‘Okay, what about me doesn’t feel comfortable with this?’”
Despite stepping away from the ring, Cena isn’t disappearing. He is scheduled to make his first post-retirement appearance at MEGACON Orlando in March 2026, where he will greet fans as a WWE Ambassador.
