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Traina Thoughts: John Cena Opens Up About His WWE Future, Age, Insecurities, Celebrity Life and More

WWE superstar John Cena opens up about why he can't be a full-time superstar anymore.

Jimmy Traina

Curt Courtenay

1. If you regularly read Traina Thoughts, you know this week's SI Media Podcast features a lenghty interview with WWE star John Cena, who is out promoting his children's book Elbow Grease. The feedback I've gotten on the podcast has been tremendous, mainly because of Cena's raw honesty. It started out as an interview, but ended up being a conversation about so many things in addition to wrestling, and Cena was tremendous. It might have been the best podcast I've ever done (not because of me, but because of the guest) and I want to make sure that even if you're just a fringe wrestling fan, it's on your radar. If you know a wrestling fan, pass this along to them. Tell them to listen, subscribe, review.

Here is Cena talking about how, at 41 years old he just can't be a full-time wrestler anymore:

Cena also talked about dealing with aggressive fans.

Listen to the full podcast below or download it on iTunes.

Here are specific timestamps if you just want to hear certain sections:

6:50: His status with WWE.

9:03: His reputation for holding other talent back.

11:10: How being 41 years old has affected his wrestling career.

15:25: Did he have to convince Vince McMahon to let him be a part timer?

16:15: His heated promos with Roman Reigns.

18:15:  Why Roman Reigns has it tough.

22:50: Being “tremendously” misunderstood.

24:09: His new hair do.

25:14: Being insecure about his looks and dealing with criticism

27:00: If he does his own social media and the philosophy behind his unique Instagram account.

35:00: His Total Divas character.

37:30: Can and should John Cena be on dating sites?

45:05: His tireless and historic work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

49:50: His favorite sports teams.

51:30: Dealing with fans in public.

55:12: Recently losing 20 pounds; what he eats each day.

59:11: Feelings on his WrestleMania match with The Undertaker and sitting with fans for most of the show.

1:02: What The Miz does so well and the Miz imitating Cena on Total Divas

1:06 What gets a wrestler “heat” in the locker room?

1:09: Can John Cena go into a bar and have a drink?

1:17: Have I slacked in pursuing an interview with The Rock?

2. We learned Thursday night that the Eagles have an audible called "Hulk Hogan," but unfortuantely we never got to see it. Even Troy Aikman was disappointed.

3. Thursday's Traina Thoughts told you about the big ratings for Wednesday's Lakers-Warriors preseason game on ESPN. Here's another nugget to show you just how impressive the viewership was for the game.

4. The game of the season so far takes place Sunday night when the Chiefs visit the Patriots. Hopefully NBC won't turn the event into four hours of Patrick Mahomes-Tom Brady comparisons. ESPN would definitely do that if this was a Monday Night Football game, but I have faith in Al and Cris not to go overboard. As for the betting front, the over/under, which as of this writing is 59.5, is the highest total of the 2018 season. Also, the Chiefs go into New England as 3.5-point underdogs. If you're thinking of grabbing the points, you might want to keep this stat from Good Morning Football's Peter Schrager in mind.

5. Young people reading Traina Thoughts might not know this, but Pat Riley has always been a savage. Nothing has changed.

6. Charles Barkley was on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday and bashed Shaq while revealing that he hasn't worn underwear in 10 years.

7. A Bills fan who recently passed away took one final shot at the team via his obit.

RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY: One of the greatest basketball players ever, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, made his NBA debut on this date in 1979. We celebrate the occasion with this video of the top 10 plays of his amazing career.

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Traina Thoughts is the best of the Internet, plus musings by SI.com writer, Jimmy Traina. Get the link to a new Traina's Thoughts each day by following on Twitter and liking on Facebook. Catch up on previous editions of Traina Thoughts right here. And make sure to listen to and subscribe to the SI Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina.

IN CLOSING: Best bet of the weekend: Bears -3.5 at Dolphins.

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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