Ahead of the John Cena WWE farewell tour, the 16-time world champion reflected on his past. In his prime, Cena rarely lost. Now, the tides have turned.

Speaking to Collider, Cena explained why he had to “win a lot” during his peak. He believes he just did the job asked of him. “There were times when I won a lot, and there were times when I lost a lot,” said Cena. “I don’t necessarily think that is as impactful as it may seem. Whatever is best for the business and for the fans is exactly what I'll do.”

It got so bad that WWE fans would use the expression “LOL Cena wins” when talking about his matches, as Collider notes. Cena acknowledged this in the interview and hopes that fans see that he was “in it for the long haul.”

“One of the biggest hang-ups in the middle portion of my career was that, spoiler alert, John wins,” he acknowledged. “What people don’t understand is, I think now, maybe, as we begin to reflect back here on this last run of like, ‘Hey, man, I was in it for the long haul.’”

To be fair to Cena, he has lost a lot recently (even losing to Austin Theory at WrestleMania 39). He hasn't won a singles match in years, and he will need to turn that around on his farewell tour if he wants to become a 17-time world champion.

He specifically named his losses to The Rock at WrestleMania 29, Kevin Owens at Elimination Chamber 2015, and Rob Van Dam at ECW: One Night Stand in 2006 as times they aimed to “surprise” the WWE Universe.

Expect to see both wins and losses from Cena on the farewell tour. He isn't at his peak like the “Super Cena” years, and it will be a long road to world championship No.17.

When does John Cena's WWE farewell tour start?

The Rock and John Cena battling at WrestleMania XL on April 7, 2024.
Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports.

The farewell tour began on January 6, 2025, during the premiere episode of WWE Monday Night RAW on Netflix. Cena addressed the crowd with a heartfelt promo. He also declared for the 2025 Royal Rumble.

This will be the final Royal Rumble of Cena's career. He will also compete at the Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania PLEs for the last time.

He previously announced the farewell tour at the 2024 Money in the Bank PLE. Cena's final year of in-ring competition will be in 2025. He has since clarified that he will work “around 36 dates” throughout the year.