John Cena and Ric Flair have the same record of being the 16-time WWE World Champions. But none of them have succeeded in going beyond the same. However, it seems Cena is eyeing his 17th WWE Championship, and his latest statement hints towards a WWE return.
In a recent interview with Canadian YouTuber Chris Van Vilet, Cena spoke about his return. When Chris asked Cena about his favorite championship win, he replied, “My next one.”
This has surprised many Cena fans because the wrestler hasn’t been seen full-time in wrestling in the last decade and has only made sporadic appearances, juggling himself between Hollywood and WWE. 
Fans on X have responded to Cena’s surprising statement and a potential WWE return. One fan wrote, “I am all for Cena beating Flair's record.” Another person said, “After all that retirement talk, it's good to hear he still has passion for the 17th. He deserves it.” The third wrote, “I don’t see Cena winning the world strap now. They made him lose to Theory & Solo. These boys can’t even find a W in recent months. Makes Cena look WEAK.”
A fifth user said, “I hope it's against Randy Orton And Before That Match Randy Induct John Cena In Hall Of Famer 2025.” Last but not least, a person commented, “That one will be special.”
When Cena Announced His Retirement
John Cena’s statement is quite baffling for his fans, because just a month ago, the Cenation leader spoke about his retirement, saying that “it’s coming soon.” In an interview with TODAY.com, Cena said that his in-ring appearance is “limited” to an extent.
He said that either he or WWE will figure out his retirement plans by him turning 50, and if that doesn’t happen, he will either announce his retirement on X or on any other platform at that time. “If we don’t come up with something that we can present to our WWE universe as a wave goodbye, if it doesn’t happen by then, I’ll just silently announce it on X or whatever the platform is,” he said.
Is Cena returning to the WWE?
Cena’s statement suggests that the superstar might run for a championship for a brief time. However, that might be due later this year, as the current WWE Universal Championship is locked for Cody Rhodes.
Cena might make a guest appearance at WrestleMania 40 in some capacity but might make a full-time return for his championship reigns later.
