John Cena is living the gimmick and never giving up: ‘I am far from retiring’

John Cena may once again be a former WWE champ, and one with a lot of dates on his calendar reserved for non-WWE business. But he’s here to tell you that even if his schedule continues to look pretty “part-timer”-ish like it did in 2016, he is nowhere close to retiring from pro wrestling.

In quotes that originated from from his ESPN SportsCenter interview with Jonathan Coachman last week (transcription here via Sky Sports), the then-champ broke it down:

I am far from retiring, I feel like I am at my physical best. I don't think it's any secret to anybody that this is what I love to do the most and I am far from over. [I am so proud that] I am still able to do this after 16 championships and I always say that my greatest match is my next one. A lot of folks in the WWE say that maybe I am past my prime and have lost a step and that creates a giant chip on [my] shoulder. I want to showcase to everyone watching that I am still at my best.

That’s how you live the gimmick. Or more likely in his case, have you wrestling character just be an extension of your real personality.

Cena’s applying that same philosophy to losing the WWE title to Bray Wyatt at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view (PPV) last night (Feb. 12), too:

What a guy.