John Cena is calling it a career. This past July at WWE Money in the Bank, Big Match John made a surprise appearance before the Toronto crowd to announce that 2025 would be his final year as an in-ring competitor, appropriately declaring that “the last time is now.” Cena’s retirement will be a full-on farewell tour, as he revealed that himself and WWE are looking to roughly 30-40 dates for him to work next year. These dates will include appearances on , WWE SmackDown, and major premium live events like WWE Royal Rumble and WWE WrestleMania.
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John Cena Details Upcoming WWE Retirement Tour
Big Match John is bent on keeping his word when he hangs up the jorts.
Speaking to ComicBook during the Jackpot! junket, John Cena emphasized that December 2025 will mark the end of his in-ring career as a professional wrestler.
“There isn’t a check writer with enough money to change my mind when I hang it up in December,” Cena said. “I don’t want to continue for ego or financial gain. I built a relationship of trust and authenticity over the years with the WWE, and that’s people who think I suck and people who believe in me, they know that I shoot them straight and I’m trustworthy. I mean what I say: when I’m done in December, I am done. It is the last time I will perform in a ring.”
Cena made his in-ring debut in 1999, competing for independent promotion UPW. He signed a developmental contract with WWE two years later, made his official televised debut in 2002, and the rest is history. Cena’s full-time run with WWE extended until 2017, where he wrestled over 2,000 matches and collected dozens of championships.
Post-wrestling, Cena plans to continue to represent WWE, but now in an ambassadorial capacity.
“I’ll be a member of the WWE family as an ambassador and a grateful one,” Cena continued. “But you will see me wear this (points to suit), not the wristbands, the jorts, the ball cap. That, in December 2025, that goes away, and that’s the reason why we’re putting so much equity and emphasis on this farewell tour.
“It truly is the last time for generations for grandparents and parents and kids to get together in the same time. Grandparents could be like, ‘I didn’t know about wrestling and my son dragged me here.’ That son now has a son and daughter of their own, and they like John Cena, and now their kid likes Cody Rhodes. I want to try to do something special where we can all get together one last time and, and go through 25 years worth of memories.”
Cena can next be seen in Jackpot!, a Paul Feig-directed action comedy coming to Prime Video on Thursday, August 15th.
