WWE Takes A Cut Of Everything John Cena Earns Even After He Retires

John Cena is undeniably one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time. Many fans and critics alike consider him the undisputed GOAT.

For nearly twenty-five years, Cena has been the go-to guy for promoting WWE around the world.

Despite his unwavering dedication and the global brand he helped build, WWE continues to take a percentage of his earnings from ventures outside the wrestling ring.

This arrangement won't change even after Cena retires.

His time in the ring is now - but it'll soon be over for good. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

At the end of next year, Cena will officially hang up his boots (or whatever wrestlers hang up), concluding his in-ring career at the end of 2025.

Since 2018, Cena has been wrestling part-time, easing into retirement and focusing on other business ventures, particularly his full-time acting career.

Cena isn’t the first WWE superstar to make this transition.

The Rock left WWE in 2004 to pursue acting full-time under his real name, Dwayne Johnson.

More recently, Batista, known by his real name Dave Bautista, moved into full-time acting.

He starred in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Drax the Destroyer and appeared in major films like Dune and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.

Cena’s journey in acting began in 2006 with The Marine. Over the years, he has appeared in movies like Daddy's Home 2, Blockers, The Suicide Squad, Fast X, and Ricky Stanicky.

On the small screen, he starred in Peacemaker, a show based on his character from The Suicide Squad.

One key difference between Cena and Johnson is that The Rock didn’t wrestle under his real name, while John Cena did.

This means WWE owns the rights to his name, which Cena now uses in his acting career.

Cena opened up about this during an interview on The Howard Stern Show.

Cena's move in to the acting world has been a slow burner as he remains committed to the WWE as long as his body allows it. Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images

He confirmed that WWE takes a cut of all his movie earnings because they own the rights to his name.

When asked if this bothered him, Cena replied, "Absolutely not."

He elaborated, "Howard, before this, I was a kid in a small Massachusetts town mowing lawns for a golf course.

“I don't mind kicking a percentage of my earnings to the person who gave me a chance and an opportunity. If anything, that's a sign of respect. I owe [them] a lot."

Despite his understanding, Cena did admit that not owning the rights to his own name is a ‘weird concept, in a way’.

Investigative journalist Tom Colohue also discussed WWE’s ownership of names during an episode of Dropkick Discussions.

He highlighted that Cena isn’t the only one affected by this rule.

One last WrestleMania appearance is on the cards. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Colohue said: "To cite an example, the WWE owns the name John Cena and that is John Cena’s actual name.

“That means whenever John Cena is filming, whenever he is credited in a film, the WWE gets a pay cut.

“They get a cut of the profits. There are some people currently working for the WWE whose names are owned by the WWE.

“I don’t know who, I don’t have a distinctive list. I haven’t read everybody’s contract but those people know who they are."

Cena’s upcoming retirement marks the end of an era in WWE.

His impact on the wrestling world is monumental, and his legacy will continue both inside and outside the ring.

As he transitions fully into his acting career, fans will remember him not just as a superstar but as a global icon who transcended the wrestling industry.