CENA'S GOODBYE
When is John Cena retiring?
Plus John Cena's full retirement speech
JOHN Cena shocked WWE fans after he announced his retirement for 2025.
Here is everything you need to know about him and his plans.
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Who is John Cena?
John Cena is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television host.
He was born on April 23, 1977, in West Newbury, Massachusetts.
His father is former Chaotic Wrestling ring announcer John Joseph Cena.
Cena developed an early interest in bodybuilding and later pursued a career in wrestling.
In 1998 he moved to California to pursue a bodybuilding career and switched to professional wrestling in 1999.
He made his WWE debut in 2002 and quickly rose to fame, becoming a multiple-time world champion.
Cena started his acting career in 2006, starring in The Marine.
However, his acting career did not take off until 2018.
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Ever since then he played roles in Trainwreck (2015), Blockers (2018), Bumblebee (2018), F9 (2021) and The Suicide Squad (2021).
He is known for his extensive charitable work, particularly with the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Cena holds the record for the most wishes granted by a single individual, fulfilling over 650 wishes for children with life-threatening illnesses.
He became world champion 16 times since joining WWE in 2001.
When is John Cena retiring?
John Cena announced his retirement from the WWE on Saturday, July 6, 2024.
His announcement came with shock after he confirmed in April 2024 that he is not planning to retire from professional wrestling.
His final in-ring competition will be in 2025 as part of a farewell tour.
His plan is to fight up to 40 events throughout 2025 including the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania 41.
If you ever wanted to be a part of this one last time, we're going to do it as big as we can and we're fighting everybody and we hope you come enjoy the fun.
John Cena
What did John Cena say in his retirement speech?
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John Cena made a surprise appearance at WWE's promotion's "Money in the Bank" event in Toronto.
He said about his retirement: "Tonight I officially announce my retirement from the WWE.
"I have been doing this a while, I've been in WWE for over two decades.
"And in that time I've seen incredible waves of prosperity like we've got right now.
"That's when no one knows your name, nobody wants to be a friend and only the most dedicated, hardcore fans stand by your side.
"In all those years, one of the most important, impressive things that I learned was whether the WWE was hot or cold, Canadians always show up."
"WWE is the hottest ticket in town, no doubt. And I've also seen tremendous hardship.
"The 2025 Royal Rumble will be my last.
"The 2025 elimination chamber will be my last.
"And I'm here tonight to announce that in Las Vegas, Wrestlemania 2025 will be the last Wrestlemania I compete in.
"I want to say thank you.
"People say they're walking away, and two years later they come back.
"I want to set the record straight right now, I'm done. This is it.
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"If you ever wanted to be a part of this one last time, we're going to do it as big as we can and we're fighting everybody and we hope you come enjoy the fun."
After his speech fans started to chant "thank you Cena", which he replied with "What an incredible gesture of kindness".