On Dec. 13 in Washington D.C., WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event marked a historic moment as John Cena — the creator of the iconic ‘You Can't See Me’ catchphrase — competed in his final match, bringing ‘The Last Time is Now’ retirement tour to an end.
19,232 fans attended Cena's final match against Gunther, the winner of the 16-man tournament. The crowd erupted when Cena's music hit, singing along enthusiastically. The match began evenly with traded blows and chops before Gunther gained momentum with a suplex. Cena rallied back with his signature move — the Attitude Adjustment (AA) — but it wasn't enough for the win.
Fans chanted “you still got it” as Cena fought on. He delivered another AA from the top rope, but Gunther kicked out. After trading more blows, Gunther attempted a submission, and though Cena fought hard, repeated sleeper holds eventually forced him to tap out. Cena’s final match may not have been what fans had wanted, but his retirement had been years in the making.
In a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet, Cena revealed that he had planned out his retirement tour back in 2022, before announcing it in July of 2024 at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. He decided that it was time to retire because he knew that he could not give more past his current age and knew his body was reaching its limit.
The year-long tour featured dream match-ups, a heel turn and a 16-man tournament to determine Cena's final opponent. The tournament included stars from Raw, SmackDown, NXT and non-WWE superstars serving as a tribute to Cena's debut. He first appeared on June 27, 2002, on SmackDown against Hall of Famer Kurt Angle. Cena later recalled how Angle took a chance on him and worked with him, despite him being young.
“I want to give NXT kids a chance to be there and I want to give major WWE superstars a chance to be on the card… there’s only limited spots but that’s how I want to go out,” said John Cena on Van Vliet’s podcast.
Cena has won multiple championships including the World Championship a record 17 times, surpassing Ric Flair's 16. He's also held the United States Championship five times, the Intercontinental Championship once and both tag team titles twice each. Additionally, he's won the Royal Rumble twice and Money in the Bank once. These accomplishments make him a Grand Slam Champion — a prestigious title given to superstars who've won all four of the company's primary championships.
Cena also holds the Guinness World Record for granting the most wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, with over 650 wishes fulfilled, making him the most requested celebrity. He began working with Make-A-Wish Foundation in 2002, after finding the work accidentally as a rookie.
“It’s a charity that I’ve come to know and love. I admire the fact that we can bring people into our world who are going through somewhat of a difficult time. Give them a day’s worth of escape or give them an experience that they’ll never forget,” Cena said in an interview with Stephanie McMahon.
Many fans were skeptical about his retirement seeing as no one is truly retired. Some examples include Bryan Danielson and Edge — former WWE wrestlers who have come out of retirement to continue wrestling — among others. However, Cena assured that Saturday would be his last match and advised the fans to enjoy it keeping that in mind.
“Tomorrow night this is it, I am not coming back…what I urge fans out there, please watch tomorrow and give yourself the closure that you need…I’ve been called a lot of stuff but very rarely am I called a liar. And I promise you, I’m a man of my word on this one,” Cena said on the Pat McAfee Show.
For over twenty years, Cena has captivated fans with his charisma, unforgettable catchphrases, unique t-shirts and memorable matches. He has been a part of many people’s childhoods and has shaped who they are, whether they started watching him from his debut or at some point throughout his career.
The fans chanted “Thank you Cena!” as he took one final look around the ring, soaking it all in. Cena removed his shoes and armbands, leaving them in the ring as a symbol that his career ended where it began. With a final bow, salute and last glance around the arena, Cena exited, marking the end of an incredible career.
Citlali Sanchez is a senior majoring in sports journalism, with a minor in sport marketing. She enjoys going out for boba and watching soccer and anime. She can also be found volunteering at sporting events in town or out at coffee shops.
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