John Cena Says In-Ring Retirement Does Not Mean Retiring From WWE

Retirement in pro wrestling has been loosely upheld for decades, with many performers coming out of it for at least one more dance. In the case of 17-time world champion John Cena, he intends to maintain that status, though he hasn't closed the door on making special, non-physical appearances for the company he's called home for over two decades, WWE.

"Gosh, I love watching the product," Cena told "The Takedown on SI." "As you saw me, I was having a bunch of fun at WrestleMania. Really looking forward to the future and my future role in WWE. Very excited about the John Cena Classic.

"This was the confusing thing about retirement. First of all, I will stay retired. No fall downs. I will not do anything physical, but that doesn't mean I'm away from WWE. I mean, anyone who knows me knows how passionate I am about not only the sports entertainment business, but WWE as a brand. It was simply a matter of like, well, where do I fit in now? We're still trying to find out those pieces, but I think we got a clear path."

Cena's in-ring retirement kicked off at the December 13 edition of WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, where his final match resulted in him tapping out to "The Career Killer" GUNTHER. Now as an ambassador for WWE, he resurfaced to deliver the attendance numbers for night one and night two of WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas. More recently, he appeared at Backlash to unveil the John Cena Classic, an annual event where talents from WWE's main roster will collide with those from "WWE NXT." The date and location of his next WWE outing has yet to be revealed.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Takedown on SI" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.