John Cena announces WWE retirement, effective 2025
Superstar To Close Career at WrestleMania in Las Vegas
John Cena WWE retirement: What to expect?
The WWE Money in the Bank matches were supposed to be the featured attractions Saturday at the event in Toronto. John Cena wouldn’t stand for that.
The legendary WWE Superstar announced at the Scotia Bank Centre that he will retire from in-ring competition, effective next year.
BREAKING NEWS: John Cena announced at #MITB he will retire from in-ring competition in 2025.#ThankYouCena pic.twitter.com/6TPnYI5iU2
— WWE (@WWE) July 7, 2024
Making Rare In-Ring Performances
Cena and his 21 million Instagram followers no doubt were shaken by the news. He is 47 years old.
Cena’s promo announcing his retirement turned into an opportunity to plug “RAW” moving to Netflix next year. John said the 2025 Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber events will be his last. He then let down the crowd by saying the 2025 WrestleMania in Las Vegas would not be his last in-ring event. He plans on wrestling multiple matches until December.
The Toronto crowd chanted in rhythm in the one beat that wrestling fans know, saying, “Thank You, Cena.” He responded by saying “Thank you so much for letting me play in the house you bult for so many years.”
Cena’s career stats
Cena has been in 2,296 matches professionally, winning 1,805. He has 436 losses and 55 draws. The career started in 1999.
Cena has held the WWE Championship 13 times. He is a three-time winner of the World Heavyweight championship. Additionally, he is a five-time WWE United States Champion, a two-time WWE tag-team chamoion, a two-time World Tag Team champion and a two-time Royal Rumble winner.
Cena was a fulltime guy on the tough WWE schedule for many years. In the recent decade or so, he has also become a voiceover person on commercials, and appeared in TV shows and movies. One of the WWE Superstars who were able to transcend wrestling.
He has been a babyface – good guy – throughout his career. Given the fickle nature of WWE fans, it would come as no surprise that they turned on him and booed him for a part of his run. “John Cena Sucks” became a familiar refrain during some of the most successful time with WWE because wrestling fans don’t like things to go the babyface’s way too easily and too often.
Vince McMahon has always said there is such a thin line between love and hate in professional wrestling. And that is why you see the crowd favorite take so many beatings. Because when they don’t, the crowd will be happy to verbally accost them.
Cena was greeted backstage by Triple H another WWE icon who can’t put himself over enough even in retirement.
The Greatest of All Time. @JohnCena #MITB pic.twitter.com/2IXxYx3Y8Z
— Triple H (@TripleH) July 7, 2024
CM Punk Offers Somewhat Bizarre Commentary
After Money in the Bank, an interviewer asked CM Punk about Cena’s announcement. The controversial Punk managed to place himself among the legends of WWE history, like Cena.
How does CM Punk feel about John Cena’s retirement? pic.twitter.com/yceIBNT8c2
— WWE (@WWE) July 7, 2024
Punk’s WWE resume doesn’t quite stack up to Cena, Steve Austin, The Rock and other icons. No one is putting him on a Mt. Rushmore of WWE wrestlers.
MLB paid tribute as did ESPN
Thank you, John Cena ⚾️🫡 pic.twitter.com/UFwwTI5X4e
— MLB (@MLB) July 7, 2024
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