Add as a preferred source on Google John Cena once again spoke very openly about his relationship with Vince McMahon, this time involving a business decision that nearly caused a serious issue between the two.
During an appearance on Wild Card with Rachel Martin, Cena was asked about moments when ambition led him down the wrong path.
“So, the answer to that is yes, and I’m faced with those all the time. I think we all are. Those are my most teachable moments. And those are the ones I reflect on with guilt, borderline shame.”
“Because you define your values and you define how you want to live, and if an opportunity comes where you’re like, ‘Oh man, this could be really good, but it’s not who I am,’ people see through that immediately. Immediately. And then you feel guilt of like IOUs, or paper IOUs are cool, but the currency you have is your integrity. It’s who you are. And, you know, ‘everything and everybody’s got a price’ is a real comment. You just got to be accountable. That weighs heavy. It’s heavy.”
Cena then explained that he tried to get involved in the project without telling Vince, despite the fact that the two had a relationship where they discussed almost everything.
“Uh, I think one time I tried to get involved with an entrepreneurial social network startup, and I didn’t tell my boss. And we talk about everything. This was like, man, we’re going to do this together. And in potentially being part of this startup, my name’s John Cena, so I would essentially be leveraging intellectual property. And I love and trust my boss. He’s far more than my boss.”
Cena said McMahon found out about the situation and, rather than exploding, showed him the potential consequences of the decision. The conversation reportedly made Cena quickly realize that he was putting a years-long relationship at risk over an opportunity that did not even line up with his own view of social media.
Cena’s final WWE match took place on Dec. 13, 2025, at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C., where he lost to Gunther in his farewell match.
Even though he is retired as an in-ring performer, Cena remains connected to WWE as an ambassador.