John Cena dismisses speculation surrounding his post-retirement WWE future
John Cena is set to end his WWE in-ring career. The 16-time world champion recently announced that he will wrestle his last match in 2025 as part of a grand Farewell Tour. Cena is now speaking out against some rumors and speculations floating around about his future.
The Face That Runs The Place has declared that the 'last time is now.' Cena is set to work his final WrestleMania match at The Show of Shows next year in Las Vegas but is planning around 30-40 total dates on the road in 2025. The 47-year-old's final year as an in-ring competitor will include stops on RAW, SmackDown, and other major PLEs like Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, etc.
The Cenation leader spoke with ComicBook.com and made it clear that he does not plan on wrestling ever again after he hangs his boots up at the end of 2025 in a WWE ring.
"There isn’t a check writer with enough money to change my mind. When I hang it up in December, it isn’t something — I don’t want to continue for ego or financial gain. I built a relationship of trust and authenticity over the years with the WWE, and that’s people who think I suck and people who believe in me. They know that I shoot them straight and I’m trustworthy. I mean what I say. And when I’m done in December, I am done. It is the last time I will perform in a ring," John Cena said.
Cena reiterated that he would continue to represent the company once his in-ring career was done. The 10-time Slammy Award winner said he would always be around as a grateful ambassador of the Stamford-based promotion.
"I'll be a member of the WWE family as an ambassador and a grateful one, but you will see me wear this [points to suit], not the wristbands, the jorts, the ball cap. That, in December 2025, that goes away, and that's the reason why we're putting so much equity and emphasis on this Farewell Tour," John Cena said.
Cena continued and said this truly was the last time for generations of grandparents, parents, and children, to get together and bond over the WWE product. The 47-year-old said he wants to try and do something special with his farewell run so that everyone can come together one last time and go through a quarter century of memories.
John Cena to wrestle final WWE celebrity match?
John Cena has worked with numerous celebrities throughout his WWE career. There's new speculation that the veteran's final year in the ring could include another star-studded match.
SummerSlam 2024 saw singer-rapper, Jelly Roll perform "God Bless America" and the PLE theme songs. He later joined The Awesome Truth in taking out A-Town Down Under, with all three joining in for a 15-Snuckle-Shuffle. Cena took to X (fka Twitter) to praise the singer's performance, while teasing a potential celebrity tag team match.
"Have listened to his music, had the privilege of spending some time with him, and now know I have a GREAT option for a tag team partner anytime @WWEcomes to Nashville! @JellyRoll615’s Time is Now!!!! #SummerSlam," John Cena wrote.
You can check out Cena's post below:
Cena has worked with celebrities such as Seth Green, Jon Stewart, and Kevin Federline. The main event of the July 13, 2009 edition of RAW saw Cena, Triple H and Seth Green fight Legacy in a match that ended in a no-contest. The January 1, 2007 episode of RAW saw K-Fed defeat Cena in a No DQ Match.