John Cena Retirement TRUTH; Stephanie McMahon Confession - 4 Things we learned from Stephanie's Places

Stephanie McMahon recently debuted her new reality television talk show, Stephanie’s Places, a collaboration between ESPN and WWE. The show features a unique concept where WWE Superstars and legends share personal and professional stories in locations significant to their careers.

In the 10th episode, the special guest was none other than The Leader of The Cenation, John Cena, who is currently in the midst of his final WWE run. The episode was filmed at Cena’s gym, Hard Nocks South, in Tampa, Florida, where he has trained and maintained peak physical condition for nearly two decades.

Through their candid conversation, we learned several noteworthy insights about Cena’s longevity, work ethic, character shift, and transition to Hollywood. In this listicle, we will take a look at four memorable tidbits that we learned from Stephanie’s Places:

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#4. Stephanie McMahon saved John Cena’s career back in the day

It may sound surprising now, but John Cena, a WWE icon, was once struggling and was on the verge of being released during the early years of The Ruthless Aggression Era. Despite a strong debut against Kurt Angle in 2002, Cena’s generic character failed to connect with fans, who quickly lost interest.

Stephanie McMahon pitched the idea to WWE Creative of having Cena perform freestyle rap on television, a move that transformed him into a fan favorite.

Stephanie revealed she saw Cena freestyling on a bus and asked him to do an impromptu rap about a tuna fish sandwich she was eating. Cena’s performance was so impressive that she urged him to bring it to TV, and he agreed. The rest, as they say, is history.

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#3. John Cena wanted to become a U.S. cop or Marine

John Cena shared that after graduating from Springfield College with a degree in exercise physiology, he was living in California and doing various jobs, including working at Gold’s Gym. His original dream was to serve as a cop, but he didn’t score high enough in the California Highway Patrol exam. Working at the gym, he wanted a long-term goal that would keep him in peak physical condition.

He planned to enlist in the Marines, but at the eleventh hour, he was talked into signing up for pro wrestling lessons in Orange County by friends. Cena saw the wrestling ring and instinctively knew it was what he was meant to do for the rest of his life.

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#2. Stephanie McMahon was impressed with John Cena’s heel turn

John Cena’s heel turn after more than two decades of loyalty toward fans was one of the greatest moments in WWE history, and hence, the show talked at great length about that. Stephanie told The Last Real Champion that she loved his heel persona and confessed that she had been pitching the idea to the creative team for a long time.

Seeing him personify the character on screen has been a highlight for her, and she expressed her admiration for how he’s embraced this new chapter.

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#1. John Cena revealed why he was finally retiring from in-ring duties

John Cena announced at last year’s Money in the Bank that he would retire by the end of 2025. The Undisputed WWE Champion is currently in the midst of his Retirement Tour, with the next stop being Money in the Bank on July 7, 2025, at the Inuit Dome in California.

On Stephanie’s Places, Cena revealed the reasons behind his decision to retire as an in-ring performer.

The Franchise Player conceded that he felt disappointed at the gym lately, as he was not able to lift weights as much as he used to because his ''body's so beat up.'' He realized that the same would also apply to the way he's performing inside the WWE ring, with his abilities steadily declining.

Thus, he decided that it’s time to close this chapter of his life.