John Cena on Passing the Torch and His Upcoming Return

You can see him again soon. No matter what kind of a wrestling fan you are, there’s a good chance you’re going to have some kind of an opinion on John Cena. He’s the most polarizing wrestler in recent memory and one of the most of all time. With his new found mainstream celebrity status, he’s being interviewed a lot more often, including this one with a local TV station.

Cena was recently interviewed by Miami’s WSVN-TV and spoke about his World Title reigns as well as his upcoming return to the WWE, which is currently scheduled for “Smackdown Live” on July 4. While there is no word on what he’ll be doing that night, Cena seems to be promising a big show. Here are some highlights with transcription courtesy of 411mania.com:

On what to Expect From His Return

“I just want to get back in the fray. I think it’s a wonderful time to be a fan, to be a member of our WWE Universe. The rosters on both sides, SmackDown Live and Monday Night Raw, is packed with very capable, unbelievable superstars and I’m just waiting to get back into the mix and try to prove my worth once again.”

On How Many World Title Reigns He’s Got Left in Him

“I truly don’t look at it like that. I just want to be able to be able to perform at an elite level. I know that at 40 years old and 15 years in the WWE now it’s been a long journey, longer than most. I have to find my grit every day to keep working hard to keep up with all of these young, strong guys. It truly is a young man’s game but I feel really good. I look forward to July 4th and I think everybody will see that I haven’t lost a step yet.”

And on Passing the Torch

“I think it’s been passed without me. There’s a lot of folks who are currently doing a lot of damage on the roster. The show is thriving in my absence. I think it’s extremely competitive. I did win the 16th Championship at the Rumble but I was unfortunate in my first defense at Elimination Chamber and before that I hadn’t really been in the Championship picture for a while. I think the company is moving on quite well. I don’t know if there needs to be a formal anointment but they’re really doing well without me.”

Here’s the full interview:

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Opinion: Cena is someone who always has something interesting to say but I really don’t know about the passing the torch thing. In wrestling, passing the torch needs to come in the form of a clean pinfall or submission in a top match. If you just show up and say you’re the new top guy, you’re immediately going to be called a bad imitation. If they beat the top star, it’s going to mean something. Finally, I can’t imagine he won’t get the World Title record at some point.

How many reigns do you think Cena will wind up having? Who do you think he’ll actually pass the torch to? Let us know in the comments below.