As John Cena famously sang, Your time is up, my time is now. However, in this case, John Cena is no longer a young wrestler trying to make a name for himself. John Cena has done what few professional wrestlers have achieved—become a megastar and now it’s time to exit gracefully, giving his fans one last look at a man whose contributions to the squared circle are immeasurable.

What Makes a Megastar?

John Cena is truly a megastar. Wrestling has its share of main eventers, men and women who headline shows whether they’re TV, live events, or PLEs. Then, there are megastars, a category few wrestlers have attained. What makes someone a megastar is their lasting ability to stay at the top, their recognition outside professional wrestling, and their ability to stay relevant. Wrestlers such as Bruno Sammartino, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and Steve Austin all come to mind.

The Art of Exiting Gracefully

Few are the wrestlers who reach the status of a megastar. Even fewer find a way to exit the squared circle gracefully, with their head held high. Exiting with your head held high has nothing to do with walking out of your last match victorious. It has to do with knowing when to walk away and giving back on your way out.

The problem with professional wrestling is that no matter how broken down a wrestler is, there’s always a promoter willing to capitalize on their name and give them a chance in the ring. WrestleLamia doesn’t need to name names because fans have seen this repeatedly. We’ll spare the wrestlers who have embarrassed themselves with needless returns from reminding fans of their bad choices.

There's also the idea of giving back on your way out or as they say in wrestling, doing the time-honored tradition. Sadly, some wrestlers (including megastars) can't defeat the pride that keeps them from doing this.

The Art of Giving Back

Like any honorable wrestler, John Cena has also given back to the industry on his way out. For the last few years, Cena has worked hard to help talent get over. This includes his WrestleMania 36 match against The Fiend and his 2021 SummerSlam match against Roman Reigns. He’s also made himself available for special appearances such as his surprise appearance at 2023’s Money in the Bank.

In addition, Cena returned to the WWE this summer as the Screen Actors Guild strike allowed him time off to work in wrestling. Cena didn’t have to return but he did, not only appearing on TV but hosting Payback, guest refereeing LA Knight’s match there. That was just the beginning as Cena teamed with LA Knight at Fastlane, giving Knight his official seal of approval.

Not every wrestler is so giving. Just as some wrestlers can’t find it in themselves to retire, some also continue to want to have the spotlight all to themselves. While it can be disappointing for fans to see their favorite wrestlers put someone over in their last match, it’s a time-honored tradition whether the wrestler is leaving for another promotion or leaving the industry for good.

The End is Near…or is It?

John Cena has an active Hollywood career and while it’s unknown when the strike will end, his return to movie-making is inevitable. That doesn’t rule out a return to the ring somewhere down the road when Cena’s schedule allows it. However, WrestleLamia feels there are many reasons why Cena’s match at Crown Jewel should be his last.

The Reasons to Retire

There are many reasons for Cena to retire. These include protecting his health, protecting his legacy, making his appearances special, and creating room for other wrestlers. Let’s look at each one.

Protecting His Health

Like most wrestlers, John Cena has dealt with injuries that sidelined him for more than a few weeks. Thankfully, these injuries have been few. However, like anyone Cena’s age, it’s easier to get hurt, regardless of how safe a style he works. Wrestling isn’t a hobby for Cena but it isn’t his bread-and-butter. Making movies is more than his main source of income, it’s his role in life. Cena shouldn’t press his luck by wrestling and risk an injury that would put his movie roles in jeopardy.

Protecting His Legacy

As important as Cena’s health is, it’s also important that he protect his legacy. John Cena prides himself on his work ethic and his body of work. He’s repeatedly stated in interviews that he doesn’t want to stay in wrestling so long that the fans tire of him. He also doesn’t want to work matches where he embarrasses himself. While Cena’s best days are behind him, he can still work a style that hides his age-related limitations but for how much longer? Cena certainly could work in matches that protect him such as tag matches but even those can’t hide his age forever.

Not Wearing Out His Welcome

That adage familiarity breeds contempt hasn’t happened yet but Cena has to wonder how much longer the fans will want him around. Despite playing a babyface, Cena had to deal with a noticeable amount of boos during his full-time run at the top. Fans have embraced him every time he’s returned but this current stretch is the longest Cena has been around in some time. The longer Cena sticks around, the more likely some fans will begin booing him, which could lead to even more members of the WWE Universe feeling Cena has worn out his welcome. If nothing else, Cena could lose some of the magic that comes from fans only getting to see him in limited quantities (a situation which is fine for megastars but not active champions (you know who WrestleLamia is referring to).

Making Room for Others

Finally, Cena needs to bow out so he can give room for other wrestlers. In a perfect world, the WWE would have plenty of room for its active roster. Regrettably, it doesn’t and its bloated roster and Triple H’s policy of limiting the number of matches on TV and at PLEs means that anytime Cena wrestles, someone is losing a chance to wrestle.

The Champ's Final Mission

Cena has done plenty to help but it’s time to move on.  His match against Solo Sikoa is a wonderful opportunity for him to wrestle at a spectacular show. Sure, Crown Jewel doesn’t qualify as “The Grandest Stage of Them All,” but it’s still Saudi Arabia’s version of WrestleMania. Come WrestleMania 40, Cena may be back to filming movies so why not wrestle at the next best thing?

His match against Solo Sikoa is also a fantastic way to pass the torch to a wrestler the WWE has been working hard to elevate. There are many ways Cena can give the rub to Solo. He can lose cleanly, lose through interference, or win the match only to eat a Samoan Spike and be taken out on a stretcher. Triple H has a chance to show how much he knows about booking with this match and how Cena leaves will show just how much “The Game” has learned.

It will be sad to see Cena go but there’s always the option of Cena returning to guest host a show or cut a promo. Have the 16-time champion work one last glorious match, help put someone over, and give the fans a fitting send-off to one of the elite of the elite.

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