John Cena Recalls Real-Life Heat With The Rock, Talks Eventual Retirement

John Cena recently looked back on his real-life issues with the Rock around the time of their WWE feud and more. Cena appeared on The Howard Stern show promoting his new film Ricky Stanicky and talked about his WWE career, moving to acting and more. You can see some highlights and clips from the interview below, courtesy of the show

On his real-life feud with The Rock during their on-screen WWE feud: “Oh my god, yeah. To me, it was [like], ‘I’m going to jab this guy because I have nothing to lose. I have all the leverage … My angle came from the fact that he was openly saying, ‘I love the W.W.E.’ And I was like, ‘Man, if you love it, why aren’t you here?’ What a stupid thing [of me] to say. I’m so sorry because he had a lot to lose.” I can sit across from you now and say I love the WWE., but Smackdown is in two days and I’m not going to be there. And now I have to eat a bunch of s**t and say, ‘F**k, I was wrong, I’m sorry.’”

On his match with Rock at WrestleMania 28: “He is so professional and so meticulous … and so we incorporated every one of his great ideas into the match. Even the very end, where I get too cocky and ended up losing… [Now] I text him all the time. He will send me voice messages and he will send me texts. He truly is in a universe of his own … and now, having to try to tread in some of his wake, I see exactly how difficult some of that is—and I’m not even one hundredth of his level.”

On retiring from WWE: “I think I can make it to 50, but I don’t think I can make it past 50. I think that at 50 — if we don’t plan [another event] — I just have to tweet: ‘I’m out. Hashtag: see ya.’ Everyone wants to write their last chapter, but that’s beyond my control… That’s okay. That’s how it happens. Man, I’ve had two decades with them.”

On playing a mermaid in Barbie: I read the script … I tried my hardest to be in the movie … and [‘Barbie’ star] Margot [Robbie] said, ‘We will make you a mermaid. You’ll be in it for half a day.’ I said, ‘Yeah, sure,’ but I think the perspective from an agency standpoint was ‘this is beneath you.’ Their guidance [was]… trickle-down economics from this might take you out of these lead lap spots, and I get all that, but I’ve always operated under the philosophy that good work gets you another chance.”

On Trainwreck being the film that inspired him to seek a full career in acting: “I still love [wrestling] — that’s why I go back, but then somebody gives you an opportunity [like Trainwreck] and says, ‘Hey, do you want to play this weird, awkward, naked guy?’ ‘Fuck yeah, that sounds great, let’s do it.’”