John Cena failed to win his 16th WWE world title at No Mercy on Sunday and now he is set to miss the rest of the year to film a television show. Many fans believe that Cena's time at the top is over now but he said in a recent interview that he is not putting over younger guys very soon.
The 39-year-old WWE superstar told ESPN.com that he will always be loyal to the WWE despite all the projects he gets outside. However, he also mentioned that he does not want to pass the torch to the younger generation of wrestlers easily.
"Every single day that I don't have an outside obligation, I will fulfill any commitment that I have to WWE," Cena said.
"Right now the roster is loaded with characters. It demands that you perform at your best every single night. I don't believe in shortchanging the consumer. I believe in giving the WWE universe what they want and the day I can't do that is the day I move aside," he added.
The 15-time WWE world champion has become a part-time superstar this year after starting 2016 with a shoulder injury. He was then moved to SmackDown instead of Monday Night Raw, the WWE's flagship show, at the WWE Draft.
Cena has also done a lot of outside projects including hosting two awards shows and appearing on his own TV show. He is set to miss the rest of the year to film the second season of "American Grit." He has also received other reported projects such as another hosting gig, as well as a possible main role in a future Marvel film.
Nevertheless, those are still just rumors, with the exception of the "American Grit" filming. Cena's time as the face of the WWE has been more than a decade but the company has not found the right heir apparent.
Roman Reigns still gets booed out of the building while Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and Dean Ambrose are somewhat stale at this point. On the other hand, A.J. Styles is the same age as Cena and there are reports he is set to drop the WWE World Championship to Mr. HLR once he returns from his filming duties.
According to The Inquisitr, Cena has halted the rise to the top of several stars such as Bray Wyatt and Rusev. As of this point, the future WWE Hall of Famer's duty is not only as an ambassador for the WWE but also putting over talent and not burying them.
Check out the video below for some of Cena's best championship moments.