Some people think John Cena is not really retiring from WWE for real.
He insists he is.
During an appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet this week, “The Greatest of All-Time” spoke about the rumors that he is not really retiring from WWE, as well as the reason the Brock Lesnar match he had played out the way it did, and what winning the record 17th WWE title and first-ever WWE Intercontinental title reign in his last year meant to him.
Featured below are some of the highlights from the interview where “The Never Seen 17” time former world champion touches on these topics with his thoughts. Also embedded below is a complete video archive of the discussion.
On what did winning the 17th WWE championship mean to him: “I want to choose my words carefully. I have been apprehensive for quite some time for that, because I love Ric, super mentor to me, always been a great guy to me, and I love him. I meant what I said in the press conference at Rumble, and this is another thing, like I never wasted a second. We want you to do the press conference. How do I make these moments meaningful? I want to win 17 so I can shake the hand of the performer that wins 18. So what it meant to me, personally, was, ‘Hey, young uns, one of them is going to be you. You better get working, because I don’t want to be in the ground when 18 happens.’ I want to shake somebody’s hand. And something that’s impossible is now possible. So that’s what it means to me, hopefully, by my actions, this is possible. Holy hell, this guy wants to shake my hand when I pass it, and I can’t wait to do that.”
On what winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship meant to him: “What is special about that is I was able to work with Dom Mysterio three of my last four matches. And, gosh, that was really special. And honestly, the most special thing about winning it was being able to lose it how I did. That was really cool. I got to experiment with the US title and create an open challenge. And before that, I got to experiment with the US title and turn it into a spinner Bell. Turn it into a spinner belt. Twice, I was given what we in the company view as a secondary achievement, and was relentless in making it a primary objective. The guy on his way out. I said something in passing I’m like, that late IC title run just like Stone Cold had. You don’t touch that stuff at the end. You’re a champion. You’re of this pedigree. You don’t mess around with secondary objectives. In Boston, I made it mean something, and it did. It’s a nice it’s a nice win, and then the person who had it before me certainly gave value to it, but him beating me again for it, and now having it gives him even more value.”
On why the Brock Lesnar match was so quick: “Well, I guess quick is perspective, because my frame didn’t feel like it was.”
On it being quick relative to the other matches he worked this year: “Again, I love the public’s ability to weigh in. You have this guy who’s returning, who absolutely looks like he hasn’t aged a day, moves like it. He can split his pants and still move like a ballerina, slip on his Pyro and do a ninja roll and be okay. He’s a beast. It’s his first time back. I’ve been in this seat before. It’s like I’m always in the seat when Brock comes back, Rock after Miami, who’s the next guy? SummerSlam with Roman, here he comes again. After he beats Taker for the streak, I’ve sat in this seat before. You have to figure out who gets the shine that night and if, in his return again, only my perspective. This attraction where we are going to build until he goes into the sunset, which is, I think, in Minnesota? Creatively, it’s very soon. To create a mountain to climb for someone, you have to build the mountain. I’m on my way out. It’s not like it’s gonna hurt me, but I’m a viable commodity, and it’s a great main event. See these two titans for the last time, and it’s ok. Sometimes your team gets blown out. We were first on the program. I did the best I could. We all did the best we could to make it a competitive fight into the middle. People forget I was in that arena when Brock fell down for the first time on the shoulder tackle, and then I was able to give them all the stuff. They were into it, and then just a bunch of gratuitous F5’s. That’s how you build Brock.”
On how there are some people who still don’t think he is retiring from WWE for real: “I love that, and I don’t knock them for that. Because this has never been done before. Wrestlers don’t retire. So to be the first one, you’re gonna run into some scepticism.”
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com on 12/13 for live WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event results coverage from Washington, DC, including John Cena’s WWE retirement match.
