John Cena Announces WWE Retirement in 2025, WrestleMania 41 Will Be His Last Wrestlemania
We won't C him in the ring after next year.
Update (7/7/24): During Money in the Bank's post-show press conference, Cena spoke more about his "farewell tour" and confirmed Wrestlemania won't actually be his final match and that he will be wrestling through the rest of 2025.
He said the confirmed schedule is still very much up in the air, but he hopes to appear in 30 to 40 matches between January and December of next year. At the end of 2025, his WWE in-ring competition career will come to a close.
However, he will remain in the "WWE family in some capacity for an extended time to come."
"I've always said to the audience that the WWE is my home and I love it," Cena added. "Just because I physically feel I am at my end, it doesn't mean I need to distance myself from something I love."
The original story follows.
John Cena has announced his retirement from the WWE and confirmed that his final match will take place at Wrestlemania 41 in Las Vegas in 2025.
During WWE's Money in the Bank premium live event on July 6 in Toronto, John Cena made a surprise appearance to thunderous applause. While donning a t-shirt that read "The Last Time is Now," the 16-time World Heavy Weight Champion announced his retirement tour.
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
"Tonight, I officially announce my retirement from the WWE," Cena said before the crowd went wild. "I hear a mixed opinion out there. Lots of questions, maybe, right?! Like, 'Hey! Why here?' And I want to talk about that here for a second. I want to talk about Toronto. Matter of fact, I want to talk about Canada. Matter of fact, I want to talk about Canadians."
He then went to thank his fans in Canada for always being there for him, for the good and the bad, and sharing that their support was the reason he chose to announce the news tonight.
Coupled with Cena announcing his retirement from in-ring competition was a confirmation that he would be wrestling at other upcoming premium live events on the road toward WrestleMania 41.
Key among them are the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, and Monday Night Raw once it makes its move from the USA Network to Netflix in 2025. Cena concluded his retirement announcement by promising to share more information regarding his status in the company during Money in the Bank's post-show press conference.
For more in the world of wrestling, check out our look at if Cody Rhodes should lose the undisputed WWE Championship before he faces The Rock.
Isaiah Colbert is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow them on Twitter @ShinEyeZehUhh.
