"This is for sure the end for me" - Top WWE Superstar on retirement

"Never say never" is an age-old cliché in pro wrestling, especially in WWE. There is always a chance a star will return to mend bridges. There is always 'one more match' despite a star-studded retirement. One has to only look at how Ric Flair continued to wrestle despite 'retiring' in 2008 after receiving a grand farewell.

But there have been some stars who have stayed retired after calling it a day. John Cena, it seems, is keen to follow in those footsteps. The current Undisputed WWE Champion is in the midst of his Retirement Tour, with December 2025 being his last month of in-ring action. While pro wrestlers are known to have the itch to return to the squared circle after their retirement, Cena wants to keep his word.

The 17-time World Champion recently appeared on the UK's This Morning and addressed the questions about his imminent in-ring retirement. The host asked The Last Real Champion whether this was it or would he keep going back like Elton John and The Rolling Stones.

"I understand the entertainment industry may have set an ambiguous standard about what retirement is. I'm 48 years old, and I made a promise when I started getting success in WWE way back around in 2004. I promised the audience when I felt I lost a step, it was time to step away," he replied.

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Cena has been a staple of WWE ever since rising to the upper card in 2004. The Franchise Player has stayed on top for the majority of his run. His name became synonymous with the global juggernaut as he stayed with the company across multiple eras before finally deciding that his current run would be his last. The Hollywood star is determined to stick to his promise when it's all said and done.

"The industry has allowed me to perform in front of crowds, like the crazy crowds in the O2, for 25 years. I just wanted to do something different. No WWE Superstar is ever really retired. So this is for sure the end for me," he added. [6:15 onwards]

It was last year at the Money in the Bank Premium Live Event in July when John Cena announced that he would embark on a Retirement Tour in 2025. Since the beginning of his Farewell Tour, he has competed in multiple PLEs. The 48-year-old won the Men's Elimination Chamber Match in Toronto and then headlined WrestleMania 41 Night Two, where he won the Undisputed WWE Championship. All of this has coincided with his surprising heel turn as well.

Cena is slated to wrestle his last match in December and has only 15 dates left in his Farewell Tour following Night of Champions.

John Cena's next WWE appearance confirmed

John Cena on SmackDown. [Image via Getty]

WWE has confirmed that The Last Real Champion will appear on the July 18 episode of SmackDown. The show will emanate from Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas, and will continue the build-up to SummerSlam 2025.

Cena will defend his title against Cody Rhodes at The Biggest Party of The Summer. The American Nightmare earned this opportunity by winning the 2025 King of the Ring Tournament, defeating Randy Orton in the final in Riyadh.

It will be interesting to see if they engage in a war of words on July 18.

Please credit This Morning and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcript if you use quotes from the first half of this article.

About the author

Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

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Edited by Yash Mittal