WWE Payback 2023: John Cena's Role in a Particular Match Confirmed

John Cena will also be the special guest referee for tonight's match between LA Knight and The Miz.

By Connor Casey

WWE announced during the Payback kickoff show that John Cena will have an extra role on top of being tonight's pay-per-view host. The 16-time world champion will be the special guest referee for the match between LA Knight and The Miz, which likely spells doom for "The A-Lister" given his years of history with Cena. Meanwhile, Knight is looking to pick up his first singles match victory on a WWE main roster pay-per-view after winning the 25-man Slim Jim Battle Royal last month at SummerSlam. 

Cena made his first of what is supposed to be months worth of appearances on this week's Friday Night SmackDown, nailing Jimmy Uso with an Attitude Adjustment after a back-and-forth promo. There are also reports of WWE building toward a match between Cena and Cody Rhodes at some point in the coming months. 

WWE Payback 2023 Card

  • World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins vs. Shinsuke Nakamura
  • Women's World Championship: Rhea Ripley vs. Raquel Rodriguez
  • Undisputed WWE Tag Team Championships: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest)
  • WWE United States Championship: Rey Mysterio vs. Austin Theory
  • LA Knight vs. The Miz (John Cena as special guest referee)
  • Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus (Steel Cage Match)

John Cena on His Final WWE Match

Cena has been operating on a part-time schedule within WWE since 2018, having wrestled just 34 matches since his bout with Triple H at the Greatest Royal Rumble event — a mere fraction of which have been on either TV or pay-per-view. Having already admitted in interviews after WrestleMania 39 that he's physically limited at this point given his age and dedication to his acting career, Cena discussed a potential retirement match during a behind-the-scenes interview with WWE on Friday.

"As I said out there in the ring, the last one is not tonight, but I know it's soon. Every single chance I get to go out there becomes more and more special. There is no denying the fact that I'm 46 and staring down 47," Cena said. "I've been here for over two decades. As I said out there in the ring, the last one is not tonight, but I know it's soon. To speak candidly, when you're involved in this every day in a full-time capacity, you just think about what's next."

"The WWE Universe being gracious to invite me and allow me back to be part of this family, for the last two or three years, I've been able to focus on what's now. I never miss any of those wonderful moments in the ring. I know it may sound repetitive, but so is me saying 'Never give up,' and I never mind saying that, so I never mind saying 'thank you' to the people that make this special," Cena said. "Without them and them caring, I don't get to come back."

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