John Cena: ‘Someone Else’s Time Is Now’

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, John Cena spoke about his time on top in WWE and said that it’s time for someone else to take over as the face of the company. Here are highlights:

On granting wishes for kids: “It’s very much John Cena the character hoping, over the course of 30 minutes to an hour, to let them know John Cena the person, and to know they’re not too far apart—that me and the guy in the ball cap are the same.”

On what he tells them after losses: “It’s the ability of Babe Ruth to call his shot, all the time,” Cena says. When things don’t go as the kids had hoped, that too offers an opportunity. “I go and see them after I lose, and that’s a great message to send: Hey, don’t worry, I promise you—I promise you—I will get up and be able to keep going. I’ve seen kids break down and cry, and then in a split second turn their emotions to say, ‘Right on, I believe you.'”

On his current role in WWE: “It’s a giant relay race, and I’m in the phase where I’m handing the stick off. My time is up. Someone else’s time is now.”