New York: WWE legend John Cena has delivered a heartbreaking update regarding his retirement, just weeks before stepping into the ring for the final time in his storied career.
The 17-time world champion, currently on his farewell tour, competed at WWE Survivor Series 2025, where he lost the WWE Intercontinental Championship to Dominik Mysterio in a dramatic match on Saturday night. Cena entered the Premium Live Event as champion but walked out empty-handed after a shocking twist.
Cena was moments away from securing a second straight victory over Mysterio when Liv Morgan made a surprise return, interfering and costing Cena the match. Her involvement helped Mysterio regain the title in one of the most stunning moments of the night.
The WWE icon is scheduled to wrestle his final match on December 13, with his opponent set to be either LA Knight or Gunther, depending on the result of the Last Time Is Now Tournament.
This year has been emotional and historic for Cena fans. Not only did they witness his first heel turn in over a decade, but they also saw him capture his record-breaking 17th world championship, cementing his place in WWE history.
However, fans hoping for occasional comeback matches in the future are in for disappointment. Cena has now made it clear that he is retiring permanently — no surprise returns, no one-off appearances, and no in-ring comebacks.
Speaking about the end of his career, Cena said:
“It has been a crazy year where I announced this like 15 months in advance that I’m going to retire. This has really never been done in WWE history. WWE superstars don’t necessarily ‘retire’ — they always kind of hang on for one more match. I am absolutely 100% done.”
He further confirmed:
“The 13th of December on Peacock is my last in-ring performance. I will never wrestle again.”
Cena’s final match will mark the conclusion of one of the most influential and celebrated careers in professional wrestling history.
