John Cena will retire from wrestling after 2025 WWE season

Actor anlegendary World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star John Cena has said he will retire from the sport after the 2025 season.

Standing before a crowd in Toronto on Saturday night, Cena announced his departure while also promising a riveting farewell tour to throngs of booing fans, per The Hollywood Reporter.

“I approached the WWE with this idea, and they initiated the talks that this would be a great span of time if we were ever going to do it,” Cena said, per The Athletic. “The business is at incredible heights of popularity and awareness. There are some big things going on, especially the Netflix debut [in January 2025] and I take pride in being an individual WWE can call up and say, ‘Remember that idea? The time is now.’ Let’s do something that can bring all of us together. They’ll write the stories, and we’ll execute the best we can.

“People say they’re walking away, and two years later they come back. I want to set the record straight right now, I’m done. This is it,” Cena said. “If you ever wanted to be a part of this one last time, we’re going to do it as big as we can and we’re fighting everybody and we hope you come enjoy the fun.”

Speaking to press afterwards, the wrestler shared that he is physically “at my end,” but acknowledged that he plans to remain closely involved with the sport, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cena is a 16-time WWE world champion. The Athletic reported that he is tied with Ric Flair for the most in the company's recognized history. Meanwhile Cena's acting career is still going strong. He recently made waves in a guest appearance for the third season of "The Bear" and co-stars with Awkwafina in the comedy "Jackpot!" out this August.