WWE legend confirms he can't return to the ring for John Cena's final match

A WWE Hall of Famer recently confirmed that he is no longer able to wrestle and will not be making a return to the ring. This effectively rules him out as a potential opponent for John Cena's retirement match.

The Cenation Leader's first opponent in WWE over twenty years ago on SmackDown was Kurt Angle. This has led fans to speculate that the Olympic Gold Medalist could be a strong contender to be one of Cena's final opponents on his Farewell Tour.

On the INSIGHT podcast, host Chris Van Vliet asked Kurt Angle whether he would consider lacing up his boots for a return to the ring to face the 16-time World Champion. He confirmed his retirement from professional wrestling, citing a severe back injury sustained during a previous commercial match. The WWE Hall of Famer revealed that his wife has forbidden him from returning to the ring, acknowledging her concerns for his well-being.

Kurt Angle then expressed a strong desire to face John Cena in the latter's retirement match. However, he regretfully admitted that his injuries have made this dream an impossibility:

"No, no, no. Because what happened was I threw my back out and I couldn't walk for a week after that. My wife was like, 'You're never getting in that ring again,' and she's right. I shouldn't have even got in the ring, but it was a lot of fun to do it. But I would love to wrestle John Cena. There's nobody that wants to wrestle John more than I do for his retirement match, especially with the respect I have for him. I just can't do it," he said. [From 32:26 to 32:49]

You can watch the full episode below:

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John Cena will be at the WWE Royal Rumble

The Franchise Player made his presence felt on RAW's Netflix premiere on January 6, 2025. During his appearance, he acknowledged that becoming a record-breaking 17-time WWE World Champion seemed like an overwhelming challenge.

However, John Cena declared that the only path to achieving this historic feat would be by entering the 2025 Men's Royal Rumble Match, officially announcing his participation in the prestigious event.

Only time will tell if the 47-year-old megastar is bound to win this year's Royal Rumble and capture another WWE world title before his retirement.

Please credit Chris Van Vliet's INSIGHT and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.