The wrestling world has reacted to John Cena’s announcement that his final match will come at WWE WrestleMania 41 in April of next year.

At WWE Money in the Bank 2024, Cena surprised the fans in Toronto with an unannounced appearance at the event. The 16-time WWE World Champion spoke openly about his career before sharing the news that he plans to retire from in-ring competition next year. The topic of Cena’s retirement has been broached several times in recent years, as John has been well aware that his days in the ring have been numbered for some time.

Reaction To John Cena’s Announcement

Cena’s announcement understandably had the wrestling world abuzz with many taking to social media to share their reactions. On Twitter, Baron Corbin made his claim to face Cena in what will be John’s final match.

Not gonna lie…

I want some! @JohnCena pic.twitter.com/JyGe2nCyX6

— Tom (@TomPestock) July 7, 2024

Corbin isn’t the only Superstar with their eyes on John Cena. Former Raw Tag Team Champion Omos also wants a piece of Big Match John.

GIVE ME CENA!!!!

— Jordan omogbehin (@TheGiantOmos) July 7, 2024

‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor reacted to Cena’s retirement by using the same verbiage that John used to announce the death of Osama Bin Laden after WWE Extreme Rules 2011.

John Cena’s career compromised to a permanent end.

— “Filthy” Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) July 7, 2024

WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, who spoke highly of John after Money in the Bank, shared a video of the pair backstage following Cena’s announcement.

The Greatest of All Time. @JohnCena #MITB pic.twitter.com/2IXxYx3Y8Z

— Triple H (@TripleH) July 7, 2024

Cena’s announcement has surpassed the realm of professional wrestling. On Twitter, the Orlando Magic wished John a happy retirement.

happy retirement @JohnCena ? pic.twitter.com/VNBaqT59ao

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) July 7, 2024

The MLB also praised Cena and thanked John alongside an image of the 16-time World Champion throwing a pitch.

Thank you, John Cena ??? pic.twitter.com/UFwwTI5X4e

— MLB (@MLB) July 7, 2024

John Cena Reveals Details Of 2021 Wrestling Retirement

WWE CCO Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque has lavished praise on John Cena as the WWE Icon-turned-Hollywood A-Lister prepares for his life after the ring.

The 16-time WWE World Champion made a surprise appearance at Money In The Bank 2024 with some sobering news. In front of the rabid Toronto crowd, John confirmed that he will retire from competition in 2025 and his final match will take place at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

John Cena Announces 2025 Retirement At WWE Money in the Bank

Triple H On John Cena

At the WWE Money in the Bank post-show, Levesque was asked for his thoughts on Cena’s impending retirement from the ring. Levesque, who retired due to health issues in 2022, had nothing but good words for his friend and former rival.

“A lot of people talk about legends and icons and [there’s] so much speculation about who would be on wrestling’s Mt. Rushmore. I don’t care what metric you use, John is on the top of all of them. He’s had an unbelievable career.”

After speaking about Cena being able to call his ‘shot’ given his immense success, Levesque concluded with his personal views on the 16-time WWE World Champion.

“For me personally, I want to say thank you to John for everything he’s done. Everything he’s done for WWE, for all of the Superstars here, and for what he’s done just for sports entertainment and pro wrestling, for all of it in general. Against his will, a while ago he was being called the greatest of all time. But he truly is, I believe that. So thank you to John.”

Paul @TripleH Levesque addresses the retirement of WWE's Greatest of All Time @JohnCena.#MITB pic.twitter.com/bAM2kRQeAl

— WWE (@WWE) July 7, 2024

Little is currently known about John Cena’s final match, though it obviously won’t be in London, England as he previously suggested. Nevertheless, fans can expect a fitting send-off by WWE to a talent whose name is etched in history as one of the all-time greats.

John Cena Unveils Details of His 2025 WWE Retirement Tour

John Cena wants to take fans on a ride they won’t forget next year. In a revealing press conference following Saturday’s WWE’s Money in the Bank show from Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena, the wrestling icon shared a lot of details about his upcoming retirement tour, marking the end of his illustrious in-ring career.

Cena announced that his final run will span the entire year. “If everything goes to plan, I’ll be wrestling from January to December,” Cena stated.

He also confirmed that this retirement is definitive. “A lot of sports entertainment retirements are dishonest. I’m done. This is it,” Cena asserted, adding, “If you ever wanted to be part of this, now is the time to get on board.”

Remaining Part of the WWE Family

Cena joked that his iconic ring attire – the jorts and colorful t-shirts that have become synonymous with his character – will be retiring alongside him. He also made it clear that post-retirement, he won’t be involved in physical aspects of the shows, ruling out appearances as a guest referee.

However, fans can take solace in knowing that Cena’s association with WWE isn’t ending completely. He expressed his desire to remain part of the WWE family for years to come, albeit in a different capacity. “I’m passionate about wrestling and still yell at the screen while watching. I have wisdom I want to pass along,” he explained.

Ending on a Historic Note

Cena’s retirement tour isn’t born out of necessity due to injury, as is often the case in professional wrestling. Instead, it’s a conscious decision driven by gratitude. “This is not a bad thing. This is a great thing,” Cena emphasized, highlighting his appreciation for the opportunity to bid farewell on his own terms.

As Cena’s legendary career draws to a close, he’s not content to simply ride off into the sunset. Cena expressed interest in pursing a 17th world championship, indicating his final year will be anything but predictable.

WWE legend John Cena has confirmed that he will be retiring in 2025.

The 16-time World champion made a surprise appearance at Saturday’s Money in the Bank premium live event from Toronto to announce his retirement tour.

While he did not specify when his final match will take place, he confirmed that next year will be his last time competing at the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania. He also said he’ll be there when WWE Raw officially moves to Netflix in January 2025, so we can expect Cena to be quite active during the final run of his career.

Who could John Cena face in his final match?

Randy Orton, for example, would be the perfect final opponent for Cena, as both men were the top names of the company back in the mid to late 2000s and had arguably one of the biggest feuds of the “PG” era.

A younger(ish) name like LA Knight would also make sense, as putting over a newer talent on his way out could certainly help someone’s career (although don’t ask Austin Theory if his win over Cena helped his career trajectory…).

Cena also confirmed during his promo segment at MITB that he would be opening the MITB Post-Show Press Conference and answering “any and all questions” about his impending retirement.