More than two months after his retirement, John Cena has issued an apology and revealed his new role for an upcoming WWE project. Cena seems to be enjoying life after pro wrestling, but he continues to be busy with his career as an actor.
One of WWE’s biggest projects on Netflix is WWE Unreal, a reality television series showing behind-the-scenes moments and interactions backstage. The show reveals how members of the creative team, led by Triple H, plan storylines and matches.
It has been a success for both companies since the first season was released on July 29, 2025, and the second season on January 20. A third season is in the works and will be released this summer.
Cena Apologizes to WWE Unreal Producers Ahead of His Season 3 Appearance
While WWE Unreal has been praised and well-received, old-school WWE stars and fans remain critical of the show.
John Cena revealed in an appearance on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast with O’Shea Jackson Jr. and TJ Jefferson that he was not a fan of WWE Unreal. However, Cena has since changed his mind and issued an apology to the show’s producers.
“I just did a sit-down for WWE Unreal season three,” Cena said. “I led with, ‘I’m sorry.’ Because those motherf*ckers tried to get me for season one and season two, and I’m like, ‘I’m not spoiling any stories, and I’m going to be curt and short in my answers.'”
Cena added that he didn’t initially trust the producers because they came from an NFL background. But after looking at the numbers and seeing the success of WWE Unreal, he agreed to become part of the third season. He was shown in the first two seasons, but he sat down and gave interviews for the upcoming season.
“Now, they’re on season three,” Cena said. “I have to admit I’m wrong; they’re right. I have to because it works. People want to see it.”
The synopsis for the third season is still unknown, but it will likely feature the rest of Cena’s retirement tour after SummerSlam until Saturday Night’s Main Event last December 13. Cena lost to Gunther in his final match via submission.
Why Did Cena Retire in December?
Some members of the WWE Universe understood that John Cena’s farewell tour deserved a year-long celebration. However, others were baffled as to why Cena and the company didn’t agree to have his retirement match at WrestleMania 42 this April.
Speaking on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast, Cena shared the selfless explanation for why he retired in December instead of at the biggest WWE event of 2026.
“Nick (Khan), from a business perspective, the data that I’ve gathered over 23 years of doing business is December is soft,” Cena said. “WrestleMania is gonna sell itself, so retiring at WrestleMania is selfish. It doesn’t do anything for the business. We retire in December, our weakest month, and we take the middle of December, the dry zone, that desert from the end of Survivor Series to the beginning of the Rumble.”
Cena added that putting his retirement match in the middle of December was due to WWE’s tradition of having live events after Christmas until the new year.
John Cena Issues Apology Ahead of Role in WWE Project