John Cena Opens Up on Identity Beyond Wrestling: ‘Being a Wrestler Is Not Who I Am’

John Cena isn’t in any hurry to map out what comes next — and he’s perfectly fine with that. The 17-time world champion, who recently completed his retirement run with WWE, sat down with Pete Davidson on Davidson’s Netflix show and spoke candidly about how he’s processing life after professional wrestling.

Cena addressed a question that has apparently followed him since hanging up his in-ring career: what does he plan to do now? Rather than offering a concrete answer, Cena made clear that wrestling was always something he did, not something that defined him at his core. “Being a wrestler is something I enjoy,” Cena said. “It is not who I am.”

It’s a distinction that carries real weight coming from someone who spent the better part of two decades as the face of WWE. Cena’s run at the top of the card was one of the longest and most visible in the modern era, encompassing 16 world championship reigns under the WWE banner (with a 17th recognized title added to his legacy). For many fans, it’s almost impossible to separate the man from the role he played for so long.

But Cena has been building a life outside the ring for years, establishing a substantial presence in Hollywood with roles in major film franchises. His comments suggest that transition was never as jarring for him internally as it might have appeared from the outside — wrestling was a passion and a profession, not his entire identity.

With no apparent urgency to announce his next move, Cena seems content letting the next chapter reveal itself on its own terms.