John Cena Fuels Wrestling Retirement Rumors, Says WWE Is ‘Young Man’s Game’

John Cena may be on the fast track to retirement from the WWE, judging by an interview with The Blast.

Cena was out in New York City promoting his new book when he ran into reporters. He was asked about the rumors of his impending retirement, and Cena was not ready to deny them outright. At 41 years old, he has spent many years in a profession that is physically and logistically demand, as wrestlers often travel on long schedules and spend little time at home.

“Full disclosure, I can’t run at the full demanding schedule, at 41-years-old, that current WWE Superstars do,” he said simply. “They go every day, all the time, and it is a young man’s game.”

Cena has been with the WWE since the turn of the millennium. After years in the ring, he was concerned that he would be called a hypocrite for stepping back, but he seemed to accept that possibility.

“I think that there are some folks out there that, certainly because of what I’ve said or done in the past, are like ‘ahh, you’re hypocritical.’ I’m old, guys,” he said with a sympathetic look at the camera.

While he has built his life around the sport of wrestling, Cena said that he has other, more personal health and wellness ambitions that go beyond the ring, and he wants to ensure that nothing gets in the way of that.

“I’m 41, and performing 310 times a year isn’t what’s best for my overall health,” he said candidly. “I want to be able to run in the streets at 80 instead of hobbling around.”

His other work seems to have helped with that — Cena said that he learned “some stretching techniques” during his recent stay in China that worked wonders on his body. He also said that he has dropped 20 pounds recently, putting less weight on his aging joints. Still, Cena promised that he is not even close to leaving the WWE for good.

“So, I’m at a point in my life where I kind of gotta think a little more long term. That doesn’t mean I’m leaving the WWE — I’ll never leave the WWE, it’s my home,” he declared. “But I have to think of my overall long-term health, and right now this is probably the best play for me.”

Cena has four upcoming projects listed on his IMDb page, including the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee later this year.