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After more than 23 years, John Cena prepares to enter the ring for the final time.
During a surprise appearance on Saturday at Money in the Bank in Toronto, Canada, the 16-time world wrestling champion announced that he will retire from WWE after WrestleMania 2025.
While Cena has shown off a towel with the words “never give up” on it several times over the years, this time he came up with one that read “The last time is now.”
“Why am I here? Tonight I officially announce my retirement from WWE,” he said, as the audience gasped in shock.
Later in his speech, Cena announced that he plans to stay and compete in Monday Night Raw as it makes the unprecedented move to Netflix in January 2025.
John Cena on ‘SmackDown’
WWE
“This farewell, it doesn’t end tonight,” he said. “It’s filled with opportunities. Everyone, Raw is making history next year when it moves to Netflix. I’ve never been a part of it Raw on Netflix, that’s history. That’s a first, and I’ll be there.
“And along with that history-making first, we’re going to build so many unforgettable lasts. The 2025 Royal Rumble will be my last. The 2025 Elimination Chamber will be my last. And I’m here tonight to announce that WrestleMania 2025 in Las Vegas will be the last WrestleMania that I compete in,” Cena added.
Although the crowd booed at the news, they quickly began chanting, “Thank you, Cena,” to which he responded with his own appreciation.
“Thank you so much for letting me play in the house that you’ve been building for all these years,” Cena said. “Thank you so much for your voice, because it’s really loud, and your honesty, because it’s beautifully brutal. And most of all, thank you so much for letting me be here with you tonight to let the whole world know that we’re planning something unforgettable, which also means I get to go back to Toronto and kick some ass!”
Cena signed with WWE in 2001 and has been working part-time since 2018 while continuing to build his acting career in films such as father is home (2015), Blockers (2018), The Suicide Squad (2021) and its HBO Max series spinoff Peacemaker.