During his prime, there was a vocal segment of WWE fans who hated John Cena for his seeming inability to put others over and step out of the spotlight for more than a few moments.

A fresh face would work up the ranks, crowds would get behind them, and poof, their push would disappear because Cena wanted to stay on top, leaving fans feeling like their personal engagement with the performers wasn't nearly as important as Mr. McMahon's desire to sell action figures and “You Can't C Me” shirts at Walmart.

Asked about this perception in an appearance on Busted Open Radio to help promote the new Fast And Furious movie, Fast X, Cena noted that he did have that perception, but what fans saw on-screen was only half of the story.

“The reputation I had in the sauce, while I was in it, was I buried talent because I really invest my whole heart in this,” Cena said via Bleacher Report. “I sat with Austin Theory for like 10 hours, invested a day to talk about our why, like what's our story gonna be? I would do that with everyone. I live it. My heart's on the plate. But after they were me, they didn't take that energy with them, but I gave it to the next guy. So who's next? It was, and now it's Kevin Owens. Alright, Kevin, come here, we're gonna sit down for two weeks and just talk about stuff. Then we're gonna go out there and try some crazy stuff, see what works, and put our best foot forward. Kevin's done. Sami, no problem.”

Does it bother you how protected Roman Reigns is at the top of the WWE card? Goodness, it feels like every month or so, WWE primes up some plucky new challenger to take on “The Tribal Chief,” only for Reigns to show up at the “Premium Live Event”- if he shows up at all – and crush that push right on the spot. Well, Cena was given the exact same label during his run on the main roster, and while some of those claims were more justified than others – Wade Barrett should never forgive Cena for crushing The Nexus – in the end, he was the top guy in WWE, and in WWE, true top guy stay there for years, not months. If Cena truly did help young stars to learn the ins and outs of the business while working with him, then maybe that perception will erode with time.

John Cena comments on what he has left in the wrestling tank.

John Cena is only 46 years old. He's one year older than AJ Styles, three years younger than Edge, and six years younger than Chris Jericho, who he competed against in the Money in the Bank ladder match all the way back in 2012.

And yet, after competing in over 2,200 matches for WWE, Cena acknowledged on Busted Open that, despite wishing he could continue on as a WWE Superstar, his body just can't handle the physicality anymore.

“I wish I was still there every day, it’s just my body can’t do it anymore and I don’t wanna give the consumer a bad product,” Cena said via 411 Mania. That’s another thing that I learned from those veterans. At the time, guys like Eddie (Guerrero) would just risk so much [just in the name of not] giving the consumer a bad product. I don’t care how I feel, I don’t care how I feel physically, I don’t care what baggage I have mentally, when I’m on, they paid good money and I’m gonna go out there and give everything I have and sometimes find it when it’s not there.”

Turning his attention to WrestleMania 39, Cena explained that what fans saw in the ring, which was polarizing, to say the least, was the best he could do, and he relished the opportunity nonetheless.

“I’m at a point where everything I have, in comparison to the bar that’s been set… what I have is what you saw at WrestleMania 39. That’s what I feel confident that I can deliver, and that’s really nice for here and there, but that’s not every day in WWE. Sports entertainment has raised the bar, and I’m humble enough to say that’s awesome, because you’re supposed to leave it better than you found it.”

Will Cena continue to show up in WWE from time to time, talk some talk, and maybe even wrestle a match or two per year? More likely than not, yes; he does have a 20-year match streak in WWE, and bringing that number up to 25 or even higher would be a pretty incredible accomplishment. But after watching Cena work a legit program with Reigns in 2021, featuring 16 matches on or off of television, it's safe to say those days are in the past.