John Cena WWE retirement: He’s leaving wrestling - but not quite yet

John Cena, a 16-time WWE world champion made a career jump to Hollywood in the past decade. Photo / Getty Images

Longtime professional wrestler-turned-actor John Cena announced on Saturday that he plans to retire from the squared circle by the end of 2025, signalling the end of one of the most notable wrestling careers in the last two decades. But his time isn’t over yet.

Cena, a 16-time WWE world champion who made a career jump to Hollywood in the past decade, explained his plans to retire in front of thousands at the Money in the Bank WWE event in Toronto. The declaration shocked the wrestling world because Cena wasn’t scheduled to appear on the show.

“I want to say thank you,” he told the crowd, who responded with “Thank you, Cena” chants.

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

Cena said he will appear during WWE’s first episode of Monday Night Raw on Netflix, which is set to begin in January 2025, after a $5 billion deal between WWE and the streaming service. Cena said he will also attend two of WWE’s early 2025 event Elimination Chamber, and the annual Royal Rumble (where 30 wrestlers compete in an over-the-top rope battle royale for a shot at the heavyweight title). He also plans to compete at WWE’s mega show, WrestleMania 41 from Las Vegas next year.

All told, Cena said he would wrestle throughout 2025 (around 30 to 40 dates, he said) and potentially seek a chance at WWE’s heavyweight title. Winning the championship one more time would allow the 47-year-old Cena, who WWE deems as the “greatest of all time,” to surpass 1980s and ‘90s wrestling star Ric Flair, who is currently tied with Cena for the record of most world title wins.

“People say they’re walking away, and two years later they come back. I want to set the record straight right now, I’m done. This is it,” Cena said in the news conference. “If you ever wanted to be a part of this one last time, we’re going to do it as big as we can and we’re fighting everybody, and we hope you come enjoy the fun and enjoy the show.”

Fans on social media speculated that Cena could win one more title reign to surpass Flair, with many deeming the accomplishment a proper send off. Others expressed sadness over his career coming to an end, mostly since he’s been a mainstay in WWE for so long, immortalising himself with his jean short aesthetic.

“They gotta hang up Cena’s jorts in the arena like it’s an NBA Championship banner,” wrote one X user.

Asked for comment, WWE pointed to its Saturday news conference.

Cena made his WWE debut in 2002 as a generic, prototype wrestler. He didn’t catch on with live audiences until he rebranded himself as the “Doctor of Thuganomics,” a gimmick in which he would rap about his opponents. His career blossomed from there, and he became the face of the company for more than 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. Though Cena was still a massive hero for children and young fans, many adults saw him as the embodiment of pro wrestling’s turn toward family-friendly content - a step away from the rowdier product that they grew up watching.

Still, he continued to headline pay-per-view events and television broadcasts. He even announced the death of Osama bin Laden at a live event.

Cena slowly stepped away from the squared circle for Hollywood with breakout 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 on HBO’s “Peacemaker” show solidified his status in Hollywood. He has since made small cameos in hit projects like 2023′s Barbie (as a 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 WWE retirement means for his acting career.

All the while, Cena has intermittingly returned to the ring to speak with crowds or hold one-off matches to further the careers of younger talent. Two of his more recent WWE matches include losses to up-and-comer Austin Theory and the villainous Solo Sikoa. Cena also briefly returned at WrestleMania 40, where he had a brief stare-down and skirmish with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson (a throwback to their bouts 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 hinder his ability to appear consistently. Though the official announcement appeared to come as a surprise to many, Cena told the live crowd that the Money in the Bank event was the right moment to declare his exit.

“Why now? Because it’s money in the bank,” he said. “The ultimate symbol of opportunity. And this farewell does not end tonight - it is filled with opportunities.”