John Cena explains why he never changed his character in WWE

John Cena found time in his busy Hollywood schedule last year to return to WWE for a one month run in the summer aptly named “The Summer of Cena.” The face who used to run the place was once again WWE’s top draw on the house show circuit during that time. We haven’t seen Cena on WWE programming since he lost against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam towards the end of August 2021.

In a new interview with GQ UK, Cena admits he misses WWE every single day, but he understands that a full-time touring schedule is no longer practical for him:

“I miss it every day. Every single day. But I’ll be 45 on April 23rd, and I was very fortunate to make it as long as I did with only a minor list of injuries. Nothing that has changed the trajectory of my long term health. I’m strong, flexible, and in really good shape externally, internally. I think now, being a full-time touring performer might start to hit that point of diminishing returns, and I have to be realistic when I look at that.”

Cena goes on to explain why he never changed his character once he found the gimmick that vaulted him to the top of WWE:

“...there’s the perception of John Cena, “Oh, he never changes” — yeah, I don’t. Because it’s the concept of uniformity. And you have to feel like you know me. In the WWE, you couldn’t catch me at an appearance without jean shorts, sneakers, a t-shirt, ballcap, and a bunch of wristbands. I was everywhere in them. And people come to know that’s who you are.

I was so dedicated to it that meme culture ran with it, in multiple different varieties: the invisible John Cena meme, the unexpected John Cena meme. And a lot of that is based on being so familiar with the look.”

Cena sometimes did want to be known as more than just that wrestler in the jean shorts and sneakers covered in wristbands, but that phase didn’t last long:

I went through my phase, probably in 2010, 11, 12, where I felt ‘I’m a human being, and I’m entitled to be known as more…’ But I am so far past that. I hope that invisible joke goes on for another 100 years. I don’t care how many times I gotta wave my hand across my face. It’s given me a great life. It’s allowed me to do what I do passionately, and it’s allowed me to meet wonderful people throughout the world, it’s given me the perspective I have, and I will never get tired of that. And if I really want to change perception, I have to take control of that, I have to commit to something as much as I commit to that.

Do you miss John Cena as much as he misses WWE, Cagesiders? Do you think there’s any chance he makes a cameo this weekend at WrestleMania 38, perhaps as Seth Rollins’ mystery opponent via satellite?