John Cena Announces Retirement From WWE, But It's Not Over Yet

Longtime professional wrestler-turned-actor John Cena announced Saturday that he plans to retire from the ring by the end of 2025, marking the end of one of the most remarkable wrestling careers of the past two decades. But his time has not yet come.

Cena, the 16-time WWE World Champion who has made the jump to Hollywood in the last decade, explained his retirement plans in front of thousands at WWE’s “Money in the Bank” event in Toronto. The announcement shocked the wrestling world as Cena was not scheduled to appear on the show.

“I want to say thank you,” he said. said to the crowdwho responded with chants of “Thank you, Cena.”

“Thank you so much for letting me play in the house that you built for so many years,” he added. “Thank you so much for your voice, because it’s really strong, and for your honesty, because it’s beautifully brutal.”

Cena said he would appear on the first episode of WWE’s “Monday Night Raw” on Netflix, which is set to debut in January 2025, following a $5 billion deal between WWE and the streaming service. Cena said he would also attend two of WWE’s early 2025 events, “Elimination Chamber” and the annual “Royal Rumble” (where 30 wrestlers compete in a ropes battle royal for a shot at the heavyweight title). He also plans to appear at WWE’s mega-show, “WrestleMania 41” in Las Vegas next year.

In total, Cena said he would wrestle throughout 2025 (around 30-40 dates, he said) and potentially seek a shot at the WWE heavyweight title. Winning the championship again would allow Cena, 47, whom WWE considers the “greatest of all time,” to surpass 1980s and 1990s wrestling star Ric Flair, who is currently tied with Cena for the record for most world titles won.

“People say they’re leaving, and two years later they come back. I want to make it clear, I’m done. It’s over,” Cena said at the press conference. “If you ever wanted to be a part of this one last time, we’re going to make it as big as we can and we’re going to fight everybody, and we hope you come out and have fun and enjoy the show.”

Fans on social media speculated that Cena could earn another title reign to surpass Flair, with many viewing the accomplishment as a true farewell. Others expressed sadness over the end of his career, especially since he was a mainstay in WWE for so long, immortalizing himself with his denim shorts aesthetic.

“They need to hang Cena’s pants in the arena like it’s an NBA championship banner,” wrote one X user.

When asked about this, WWE referred to its press conference on Saturday.

Cena debuted in WWE in 2002 as a generic, prototypical wrestler. He failed to attract live audiences until he rebranded himself as the “Doctor of Thuganomics,” a gimmick in which he rapped about his opponents. His career then took off, and he became the face of the company for over a decade.

Fans turned their backs on Cena once he reached the top of the mountain, as he won match after match and rarely lost the championship. While Cena was still a massive hero to children and young fans, many adults saw him as the embodiment of professional wrestling’s shift toward family-friendly content—a step up from the more flashy content a product they watched growing up.

He continued to host paid events and television shows, however, and even announced the death of Osama bin Laden during a live event.

Cena gradually moved away from the ring to Hollywood with notable performances in 2015’s “Trainwreck,” 2018’s “Bumblebee” and 2021’s “The Suicide Squad.” His appearances in the Fast and Furious franchise and his starring role in the HBO television series “Peacemaker” have cemented his status in Hollywood. He has since made small appearances in hit projects like “Barbie” (as the merman Ken doll) and a recent episode of “The Bear.” Representatives for Cena did not respond to a request for questions about what Cena’s retirement from WWE means for his acting career.

During this time, Cena has occasionally returned to the ring to speak to the audience or put on one-off matches to advance the careers of younger talent. Two of his most recent matches in WWE include losses to newcomer Austin Theory and the villainous Solo Sikoa. Cena also returned briefly at WrestleMania 40, where he had a brief face-off and skirmish with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (a throwback). to their fights in 2011 and 2012).

Cena has hinted for months in various interviews that he plans to retire from professional wrestling in the near future, as his age and acting schedule prevent him from performing regularly. While the official announcement seemed to come as a surprise to many, Cena told the live audience that the “Money in the Bank” event was the right time to announce his exit.

“Why now? Because it’s money in the bank,” he said. “The ultimate symbol of opportunity. And this goodbye doesn’t end tonight – it’s filled with opportunity.”