John Cena retires from WWE after 24 years

WWE legend John Cena has officially retired from professional wrestling, concluding a remarkable 24-year career after his final match at Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena on Saturday

Cena’s farewell took place during Saturday Night’s Main Event, where he faced Gunther in a highly anticipated bout. The 48-year-old veteran was defeated after submitting to a sleeper hold, bringing an end to one of the most decorated careers in WWE history.

Fans watched in stunned silence as Gunther held Cena in the hold through the final moments, despite chants urging the WWE icon to fight on. When Cena finally tapped out—marking the first time he had ever submitted in his career—emotions ran high, with some spectators moved to tears.

Following the match, WWE stars from the locker room gathered in the ring to pay tribute. Cena left his wristbands and boots behind, a traditional symbol of retirement, before making a final walk up the entrance ramp, turning back to salute the audience one last time.

Cena retires as a 17-time world champion, the most title reigns recognised by WWE. He headlined WrestleMania six times and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. His iconic “You Can’t See Me” catchphrase became one of the most recognised slogans in sports entertainment.

Cena debuted in WWE in 2002, losing to Kurt Angle and initially struggling to establish himself as a singles star. His career trajectory changed after he adopted the “Doctor of Thuganomics” persona, a freestyle-rap character that quickly made him a fan favourite.

Beyond the ring, Cena also carved out a successful Hollywood career, becoming one of the few WWE stars to achieve sustained success as a film actor.

He had announced at the Money in the Bank event on July 6, 2024, that he would retire from in-ring competition at the end of 2025. His farewell tour began at the Royal Rumble in January, where he was eliminated by Jey Uso, and later saw him shock fans by turning heel—adopting a villain persona—for the first time since 2003 at Elimination Chamber in March.

Cena then won his record-breaking 17th world title by defeating Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania in April, before dropping the title and his villainous persona back to Rhodes at SummerSlam in August. A tournament was subsequently held to determine his final opponent, with Gunther emerging victorious to face him in his farewell match.

After the event, current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes reflected on Cena’s legacy, struggling to contain his emotions. “It’s just still like, when it’s that good you don’t want it to end and I know that’s vague but he did everything by the book and taught so many people and set such a high standard, such a high bar,” Rhodes said.