John Cena, the most popular wrestler in WWE history, bows out as he officially retires from the ring.
American actor and wrestler John Cena fought the final bout of his 16-match retirement tournament in Washington on Saturday evening, December 13, 2025, ending an illustrious 24-year career that saw him become one of wrestling’s biggest and most recognizable stars.
The 48-year-old previously announced his retirement in July 2024, telling fans at the time that his “body hurts” and he was “crying out to close the chapter.”
It has, however, been confirmed that he will remain a member of the WWE family, having signed a five-year contract as an ambassador.
Fans gave Cena a standing ovation at the end of Saturday’s match and he left the ring, for the final time, to thunderous applause.
It was the first time he had been forced to step down in 20 years.
John Cena’s last match
The legend left fans furious as John Cena’s WWE career ended in controversy.
In wrestling, there is an unwritten rule that all wrestlers must lose in their retirement match.
On Saturday night, fans witnessed it again after John Cena lost his career-ending final match to Gunther in a classic match sending a message to the rest of the locker room: “I am and will be a legend.”
The Australian professional wrestler was not wrong as in the space of six months he ended the careers of Goldberg and John Cena; two megastars of this sport of entertainment and a situation that we believe will not happen again in the years to come.
The emotional retirement match saw Cena take on Gunther in front of a crowd of nearly 20,000 at Capital One Arena, streamed on WWE’s official YouTube channel.
Cena expressed before the match “This is for real; we’re going to swing. Stu, let’s work one last time.”
Cena definitely bows
As he walked up the ramp one last time, he gave one final bow and said to the camera, “It’s been a pleasure serving you all these years. Thank you.”
The Washington DC crowd absolutely exploded when Cena made his entrance for the final time as an active wrestler.
Cena came out of the ring to shake hands with several WWE legends in attendance, including Kurt Angle, Kevin Owens, Booker T, Trish Stratus and Rob Van Dam.
Cody Rhodes and CM Punk came out with a number of WWE officials and presented Cena with their championship belts after the match.
Most of the players entered the arena and surrounded the ring to celebrate Cena and his legendary career.
Tributes to the champion
Tributes poured in from his peers immediately after the bell, led by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
Writing on social media, Cena’s former rival said: “John, the time has come. We have shed blood, torn tendons and broken records.”
“What I like most is that you are a good human being. Go have fun. You are the GOAT.”
This defeat ironically marked the end of an emblematic career.
The official WWE account posted a video of the wrestling titan leaving the arena for the very last time and posted: “One last goodbye. Thank you, John Cena.”
John is an American actor, rapper and retired professional wrestler. He is a 17-time world champion and is currently a brand ambassador for WWE.
