John Cena made an announcement on July 7, 2024 during a speech at the WWE Money in the Bank event in Toronto. The legendary wrestler-turned-actor declared that he will retire from professional wrestling after a 20-year career with WrestleMania 2025 being his final appearance in the ring.
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The announcement was made on July 6, 2024, at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario during the Money in the Bank event.
The news was met with a mix of shock and admiration from fans who had not anticipated such an announcement from the WWE legend.
John Cena expressed his gratitude to the crowd by addressing the energy and support he has received from fans over the years.
John Cena will officially retire in 2025 with his last matches spread across the year from January to December.
Events like the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania will feature Cena’s farewell performances.
John Cena mentioned that he plans to participate in around 30 to 40 matches during his farewell tour.
John Cena has been with WWE since 2001, debuting on WWE television in 2002. He is a 16-time world champion, a record he shares with Ric Flair for the most world titles in WWE history.
John Cena has headlined WrestleMania, WWE’s biggest event, five times throughout his career. Cena holds the record for the most wishes granted by a single individual fulfilling over 650 wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
John Cena cited physical limitations as a primary reason for his retirement stating that he is physically at end.
John Cena described WWE as his home and expressed his intention to remain connected to the WWE family in a non-wrestling capacity.
Post-retirement Cena plans to contribute to WWE by sharing his wisdom and experience with future generations of wrestlers.
Over the last decade Cena has increasingly focused on his acting career balancing it with his wrestling commitments.
He has starred in films such as “F9: The Fast Saga,” “The Suicide Squad” and “Peacemaker,” where he is filming the second season.
John Cena’s move to acting has been successful allowing him to explore new opportunities outside of the wrestling ring.
John Cena outlined his farewell tour, which will culminate in WrestleMania 2025 in Las Vegas. He mentioned that the 2025 Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber would be his last appearances in those events.
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He addressed the nature of WWE’s “Money in the Bank” event calling it the ultimate symbol of opportunity and said that his farewell tour would be filled with opportunities for both himself and WWE.
John Cena’s career is defined by his 16 WWE Championship titles placing him among the greatest wrestlers in WWE history.
Since joining WWE in 2001, Cena has become a household name known for his signature moves, catchphrases and charismatic persona.
His Doctor of Thuganomics character, a rapper who challenged opponents to rap battles made him a fan favorite early in his career.
Cena’s career took a turn in 2006 when he starred in The Marine, his entry into Hollywood. Over the years he has become a main figure in the film industry with roles in movies such as “Blockers,” “The Suicide Squad,” “Fast & Furious 9,” “Argylle” and the hit film “Barbie.”
During his speech Cena highlighted WWE’s transition to streaming with “Monday Night Raw” moving to Netflix. He expressed his excitement about this move and how it represents a new era for WWE.
Cena sees his retirement as an opportunity to celebrate these things alongside his farewell tour.
In a post-show press conference, Cena reassured fans that he would remain involved with WWE in various capacities even after his retirement from in-ring competition.
He stated, “I’ve always said to the audience that WWE is my home and I love it. Just because I physically feel I’m at my end, doesn’t mean I need to distance myself from something I love.”
Cena said that WWE is experiencing a surge in popularity making it an opportune time for his farewell tour.
WWE’s shift from the USA Network to Netflix in 2025 is a development and Cena’s farewell matches will coincide with this transition.
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