The possibility of seeing John Cena return to the ring for AEW appears to be off the table.
Cena has officially retired from in-ring competition and has repeatedly indicated that he has no plans to wrestle again.
The WWE legend previously joked that returning would amount to “financial suicide” unless a promoter was willing to be in the “business of torching currency.”
For fans wondering whether AEW could be the promotion capable of offering Cena a massive payday, that does not appear to be the case.
According to a report from Fightful Select, AEW has not held discussions about bringing Cena into the company since his retirement. The report also states that a potential AEW run was never considered a realistic possibility.
There is also a contractual hurdle involved. Cena remains under a multi-year WWE contract in an ambassadorial role. When the possibility of him wrestling for another promotion was raised within WWE, the belief was that his current deal would prevent him from competing for a rival company.
That makes an AEW appearance even more unlikely, despite the obvious interest such a move would generate among wrestling fans.
Meanwhile, Cena’s John Cena Classic tournament remains in the works. December is currently being targeted for the event, although the date is not yet finalized and could change.
For now, it appears fans should not expect to see Cena lace up his boots for AEW—or any other rival promotion.
