John Cena became a record-breaking 17-time world champion at WrestleMania but he may be eyeing an 18th WWE Championship before he retires in December.
John Cena Hints At 18th WWE World Title Ambition
John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes in the main event of WrestleMania 41, embarking on his 17th reign as world champion, his 14th as WWE Champion. He’s also won the World Heavyweight Championship on three occasions during his legendary career.
The 48-year-old has 11 dates remaining on his Farewell Tour, which has seen him turn from heel back to a babyface this summer. He dropped the WWE Championship to Rhodes in the main event of SummerSlam, and that could be the last time fans see him with a world title.
That’s unless Cena targets becoming an 18-time world champion before calling time on his career in December. He may have dropped a subtle hint of his intentions with a post on Instagram.
The Greatest of All-Time posted a snap of Seth Rollins celebrating with his newly won World Heavyweight Championship after cashing in the Money in the Bank briefcase on CM Punk on night one of SummerSlam. He didn’t caption the photo, which is a recurring theme throughout his use of the social media platform.
Cena touched on his Instagram activity during a recent interview with WIRED, which may be a subtle hint of his plans:
“I post one picture every day that has personal meaning to me, it will never be accompanied by text… I’m very proud of the mystery that is associated with the Instagram account and you best believe it’s all me and there’s a message in every photo.”
Cena won’t be challenging Rollins for the World Heavyweight Championship at the upcoming Clash in Paris PLE. He’s set to face Logan Paul in a singles match while the Visionary is defending his title in a fatal four-way match against Punk, Jey Uso and LA Knight.
Will John Cena Remain on WWE TV in Non-Wrestling Capacity?
John Cena’s retirement marks the end of an era, as he was the face of WWE for over two decades, achieving success both in and out of the ring. He transcended the business, granting more wishes through the Make-A-Wish Foundation than any other individual.
While fans will no longer get to see Cena in action in the ring he still wants to continue being part of the WWE family. He said in June regarding his post-in-ring career (via People):
“When I can no longer compete, I will always be a member of the WWE family in some capacity, whether I can pass on my wisdom through mentorship or be an advocate and a spokesperson for the brand.”
That opens the door to some interesting possibilities regarding Cena’s involvement in WWE later down the line. He’ll likely be focusing on his Hollywood career once he wraps up his Farewell Tour but he could look to mentor the younger generation.
Several prospects could benefit from being partnered up with Cena, given he’s one of the best on the microphone. He’s already appeared on developmental brand NXT, becoming Carmelo Hayes’ manager for the night in a singles match against Bron Breakker, who had Paul Heyman by his side.
