John Cena Says He Will Not Be At Wrestlemania 37

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, John Cena revealed that he will not be involved with this year’s Wrestlemania 37 event, even though he was part of the announcement ad from WWE. This goes against recent rumors which stated that Cena was a “100 lock” for the show. According to Cena, COVID-19 regulations and his commitment to the HBO Max series Peacemaker will prevent him from showing up. Here are highlights:

On his status for Wrestlemania: “Currently, I’m in Vancouver shooting Peacemaker, the series for HBO Max. Given the quarantine regulations, if I were to leave Canada, upon return I would have to quarantine for another two weeks. Essentially, that would shut production down. Strictly based on the letter of the law right now, there is no logistical way I can be there. We film now until July.”

On starring in a Super Bowl ad for Mountain Dew: “A Super Bowl ad for me is a life-changing opportunity, and it’s also going to change someone’s life. Mountain Dew Major Melon is really changing the perspective of advertising with this campaign, and I am really honored to be part of it. It’s a uniquely awesome flavor, Mountain Dew’s first new permanent flavor in over a decade, and it’s a brand that stands for passion. I admire Mountain Dew’s investment in areas of passion, and they go big. That’s a mirror image of what I try to do with my life—invest in passion and go big.”

On becoming a part-timer: “What a hypocritical situation. I used to be very open about the fact that part-timers were just that, and here I am at 44 years old and I’ve become what I despise, as they say. That is kind of what it is.”