John Cena issues heartfelt statement to WWE Universe
The WWE Universe has rallied around John Cena ahead of his retirement next year. Cena shocked the wrestling world with his announcement a few days ago and has now issued another special statement and retirement teaser to the fans.
The Face That Runs The Place made a surprise appearance at WWE Money In the Bank on Saturday, to announce that he will be retiring in 2025. Cena's final trip to The Grandest Stage of Them All will come at WrestleMania 41, but he will continue to wrestle until the end of next year.
Cena took to X today to hype up The Last Time Is Now, his retirement campaign. The 25-year veteran has been on WWE's main roster for 22 of those years, and he expressed gratitude to the fans for coming along for the journey.
"For over 22 years YOU have allowed me to be a part of many special moments. We have incredible history together from setbacks to triumph and all in between. I’m so grateful to be invited back home so we can write the last chapter of this unforgettable ride. Sunsets are often the most memorable experience. I can’t wait to share this sunset with my family. See you all very soon. The Last Time Is Now!," John Cena wrote.
WWE has not named any retirement opponents for Cena as of this writing. However, it was revealed just today that a major name is the favorite to face the 16-time world champion at WrestleMania 41.
Chris Jericho on John Cena's WWE retirement
John Cena and Chris Jericho shared the ring more than 80 times while working together in WWE. Jericho began his career in October 1990, and just over 9 years later Cena was beginning his journey in November 1999.
Jericho recently spoke with McGuire On Wrestling to share his candid thoughts on the retirement of his longtime rival and tag team partner. The current AEW FTW Champion responded after the host said he believes Jericho will have a longer career than Cena.
"My career is already longer than John Cena’s. No, I mean it’s great. John’s always had a great love for wrestling, and he’s got a great connection with the fans, so I think it’s a cool way to go about it. People know this is it, and John’s not the type of guy to say anything lightly, so I’m sure he’s been focused on this, and working with the company to make sure it’s right. I’m sure it’s gonna be a really great year-and-a-half for Cena fans and himself," Chris Jericho said. [H/T: POST Wrestling]
The first-ever Cena vs. Jericho match took place on July 2, 2002 on SmackDown. The young Cena was defeated in around 5 minutes. One week later, Cena and The Undertaker defeated Jericho and Kurt Angle. The week after that, Cena defeated Jericho via DQ, but days later the future Cenation leader beat the future Learning Tree at Vengeance 2002. This was Cena's WWE PPV debut.