Everything John Cena does is for WWE, even if he leaves

As John Cena gets older, and continues picking up gigs outside of his normal work within WWE, it gets less and less clear just how long he is for the squared circle. It’s even become a talking point for promos on television.

To hear Cena tell it, though, he’s not actually slowing down, even if he is spending more time away from WWE. What’s more, his not being with the company for large stretches of time is not an indicator he’s leaving but the opposite — he’s doing it for the good of the promotion.

As he told ESPN:

"I'll answer it like this: Every single day that I don't have an outside obligation, I will fulfill any commitment that I have to WWE. And I will attach this quote with it that every outside obligation I have is to expand the brand of WWE and there has never been a superstar to say that before. ... I guess my mission statement is now to let the world know on a global scale that WWE certainly is a wonderful form of entertainment but its superstars are more than just superstars inside the ring. They do so much more outside the ring and have so much more to offer."

The easy comparison to make is with The Rock, who used his WWE fame to skyrocket to the top in Hollywood as one of the biggest movie stars in the world. He has since come back to headline multiple WrestleMania pay-per-views, including the highest grossing event in the history of the company. There was a time, however, that he stayed away in an attempt to distance himself from pro wrestling.

Cena, then, can use that as a sort of blueprint without taking the many years off in between while still promoting WWE all along the way.