John Cena reveals his retirement date, telling Entertainment Tonight's Nischelle Turner that he's serious about retiring and he knows when he'll reach that point.

"That's not a maybe. That time is gonna come and it's gonna come soon,"

The 16-time world champion told Turner he wants to end things when he's still able to perform at a high level:

I made a promise to the consumer early on, to WWE fans, 'cause I know how tough it is to be a fan. You gotta come out of pocket -- and WWE has a ton of content -- it takes a lot to be a passionate fan and our fanbase is passionate and global. I never wanted to go out there just for the sake of going out there.

Cena has said this in many other interviews and it seems like something he is committed to achieving. Fans have seen plenty of wrestlers damage their legacy by refusing to retire. While some fans love to see their favorite stars compete, regardless of their in-ring ability, Cena seems to subscribe to the idea that wrestlers should be able to deliver as long as they wrestle.

As for a retirement date, Cena didn't name a date and time, but he knows what his expiration date is:

"I'm gonna be 47 this year. I feel great. So inside I feel great, but I know what it takes to be a WWE performer night in and night out and I don't ever wanna just go out there and do it to do it. I wanna have the passion -- the same passion as the fanbase -- and I wanna give them exactly what they give me. The miles on the speedometer say, 'Hey, that's gotta be done before 50.'"

John Cena's extended run in 2023 created new memories for fans and also created new John Cena fans. Cena explained that he's worked at least one match every year since his 2002 WWE debut, something he intends to continue doing until he retires.

The man who became famous as "The Doctor of Thuganomics" hinted he could show up at WrestleMania 40:

"I don't know if I'll be free that weekend, but it is a weekend and movies don't shoot on the weekends,. But when I say I'm done -- in WWE, they say never say never and a lot of people retire and come back -- I'm just being honest with myself. There's such a great new generation now as well. It's time to pass the electric energy on to the folks that can be there every day."

H/T Entertainment Tonight

Some fans felt that John Cena's 2023 Crown Jewel against Solo Sikoa was his last match. Cena put "The Enforcer" over strong but it sounds like Cena could return for at least one more match. Randy Orton recently remarked that he'd love to wrestle Cena at WrestleMania.

Do you think John Cena is working any more matches? If he does, who should he wrestle? 

Photo Credit: WWE