16-time WWE world champion John Cena is set to retire from WWE in-ring competition in 2025.
John Cena is retiring from WWE.
In a shock development, Cena announced his plans to retire from professional wrestling in a segment during Sunday’s Money in the Bank in Toronto, Canada.
However, Cena’s retirement is not immediate. The 16-time WWE world champion is essentially planning a final run that ends in 2025, with WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas set to be his last match at WWE’s premier event.
"The last time is now,” Cena said to conclude his promo.
In his follow-up press conference following Money in the Bank, Cena clarified that WrestleMania 41 is just his final WrestleMania and not necessarily his final match.
However, he intends 2025 to be his final year of in-ring competition.
"It’s not gonna end at WrestleMania,” he said.
"WrestleMania [41] will be my last WrestleMania, but hopefully if everything goes according to plan, we’re going straight through from January to December. We’re gonna try to do a long list of dates, and that will be the end of my in-ring competition,” Cena added.
Prior to Money in the Bank, Cena’s most recent WWE appearance was during an episode of Monday Night Raw, teaming up with Awesome Truth to pick up a win over The Judgment Day.
Before that, he appeared at WrestleMania 40, helping Cody Rhodes win the Undisputed WWE Championship from Roman Reigns.
Cena’s last one-on-one match at a Premium Live Event was a loss to Solo Sikoa at WWE Crown Jewel, which set up his involvement at WrestleMania’s main event.
As he got older and transitioned to Hollywood, Cena’s WWE workload drastically declined.
Per Cagematch, Cena has been on a reduced load since 2016, which saw him compete in less than 100 matches for the year for the first time since his injury-riddled campaign in 2008.
Now preparing for retirement, Cena revealed that he’s been in communication with the WWE on how to properly handle the move, and 2025 aligned to execute it.
"It’s not up to me. I approached the WWE with this idea and they kind of initiated the talks that this would be a great span of time if we’re ever gonna do it,” he said.
"I take pride in still being an individual that they [WWE] can call up and say, ‘Hey, remember that idea you were talking about? We think the time is now.’ So that really warmed my heart.”
While his farewell tour means an end to his in-ring career, Cena says the plan is in motion to keep him in WWE at a different capacity, saying his passion for the business remains.
"Part of this business plan that I proposed and they accepted, was me remaining with the WWE family in some capacity for an extended time to come,” he said.