John Cena Announces Retirement from WWE After WrestleMania 2025
John Cena, the iconic 16-time world
champion wrestler, stunned fans with the announcement of his retirement from WWE following WrestleMania 2025. The revelation came during a surprise appearance at Money in the Bank in Toronto, Canada.
Cena, known for his "never give up" mantra, this time carried a towel with a different message: "The last time is now." Addressing the shocked audience, he declared, "Tonight, I officially announce my retirement from the WWE."
However, Cena assured fans that he would still be part of WWE's transition to Netflix in January 2025. "This farewell, it does not end tonight. It is filled with opportunity. Everybody, Raw makes history next year when it moves to Netflix. I’ve never been a part of Raw on Netflix, that is history. That is a first, and I will be there," he said.
Cena outlined his final appearances in WWE, confirming that the 2025 Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber would be his last, culminating in his final WrestleMania in Las Vegas in 2025.
Despite initial boos, the crowd soon began chanting "thank you Cena," to which he responded, "Thank you so much for letting me play in the house that you built for so many years. Thank you so much always for your voice, because it’s really loud, and your honesty, because it’s beautifully brutal. And most of all, thank you so much for allowing me to be with you here tonight to let the whole world know that we are planning something unforgettable, which also involves me returning to Toronto to kick some ass!"
Cena, who signed with WWE in 2001, has been a part-time wrestler since 2018 as he pursued a successful acting career with roles in films like "Daddy’s Home" (2015), "Blockers" (2018), "The Suicide Squad" (2021), and the HBO Max series "Peacemaker."