WWE legend John Cena announced on Saturday he is set to retire from wrestling next year after previously admitting the "great chapter" is closing. His revelation is somewhat surprising for fans who heard him talk up his fitness last month and pledge to keep active late into his life. It turns out the activities will come outside the ring.
He told PEOPLE in June: “At 47 now, my goal is to be physically active until I can’t. I put a number in my head of like, I'd like to be physically active into my late 80s or 90s. To do a parallel squat in my late 80s.”
But on Saturday, Cena made a surprise appearance at "Money in the Bank" to announce his retirement tour, a series of contests that will mark the end of his illustrious 22-year career. The 47-year-old’s arrival sent the capacity crowd in Toronto into raptures, with fans cheering in disbelief, admiration, and confusion.
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Cena is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. He shares the record for the most world title reigns in history with Ric Flair, including 13 WWE Championship titles and three World Heavyweight Championship titles.
But Cena cleared everything up once he had a microphone in hand. He said: “2025 Royal Rumble will be my last, the 2025 Elimination Chamber will be my last and I'm here tonight to announce that in Las Vegas for Wrestlemania in 2025, will be the last WrestleMania I compete in.
“I know it's a lot to take in, and there will be questions out there, but I am going to kick off the press conference right after the show and field any and all questions that have to do with my retirement. I want to say thank you.”
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The 16-time world champion was serenaded with “Thank you Cena” chants before he thanked the fans. He then looked down the camera and challenged the WWE locker room: “If any WWE superstars in the back want some, hurry up and get some, because the last time is now.”
Cena's first foray into fitness came as a mechanism to fend off bullies - which became a springboard for an All-American football career at Division III Springfield College. The Massachusetts native later accepted a position at the iconic Gold's Gym before earning his first professional wrestling opportunity in 1998, forcing Cena to adopt a variety of different physiques and fitness goals.
Cena signed to the WWE in 2001 and made his first big splash as a villainous, trash-talking white rapper. Cena later abandoned the heel role and starred as a self-described "goody-two-shoes Superman" to become one of the most iconic figures in professional wrestling history.
While he is swapping wrestling for acting on a full-time basis, Cena intends to remain fit as he eyes doing squats four decades from now. He added: “I know my WWE journey is coming to an end, but fitness was a part of my life long before the WWE journey started. Fitness will be a part of my life, hopefully as long as my heart's beating.
“So the WWE has been a great chapter in my life - it's year 23 for me - and the sun's setting on that chapter in the book, but fitness will never not be a part of my life.”
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