47-Year-Old WWE Legend John Cena Announces Retirement After 20 Years in the Ring

The wrestling world was left in a state of shock and nostalgia as WWE legend John Cena, a 16-time champion and future WWE Hall of Famer, announced his retirement from in-ring competition. 

Cena, now 47, made this emotional announcement at the Money in the Bank Pay Per View event in Canada, revealing that 2025 would mark his final year in professional wrestling. 

His farewell tour will include appearances on the first RAW episode of the year, WWE's debut on Netflix, the Royal Rumble in February, and the Elimination Chamber in March, culminating in his last match at WWE WrestleMania in Las Vegas.

“Tonight I officially announce my retirement from the WWE”

Let the John Cena Farewell tour begin
pic.twitter.com/BKsnGCoxsc

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 7, 2024

"Tonight, I am officially announcing my retirement from the WWE," Cena declared, delivering the most heartbreaking promo of his illustrious career. 

WWE Head of Creative Paul 'Triple H' Levesque shared a touching video clip on Twitter, showing him and Cena embracing backstage, captioned 'The Greatest of All Time.'

John Cena's retirement signals the end of an era, closing the chapter on a career that spanned 23 years on the main roster. 

During this time, he won the WWE Championship 13 times and the World Heavyweight Title on three occasions, tying with the legendary Ric Flair for the most top title wins in WWE history. 

Since 2018, Cena had transitioned to a part-time role, allowing younger talents to shine while he made sporadic appearances, often 'putting talent over'—a wrestling term for losing to elevate promising wrestlers. 

His last match was against Solo Sikoa at Crown Jewel 2023, where he fell to the Bloodline member after enduring 10 Samoan Spikes.

Cena headlined five WrestleManias, WWE's flagship event, solidifying his status as one of the greatest performers in the company's history. 

However, the past five years have been challenging for Cena. His last WrestleMania victory came in 2017 when he and his former fiancé, Nikki Bella, defeated The Miz and Maryse in an inter-gender tag-team match. 

Since then, he has lost to the late Bray Wyatt at Mania 36, missed Mania 37 and 38, lost to Austin Theory at Mania 39, and made a surprise return to assist Cody Rhodes in his main-event match with Roman Reigns at Mania 40.

John Cena's journey with WWE began in 2001 when he signed with their then-developmental program, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), under the moniker The Prototype. 

Alongside Randy Orton, Dave Batista, and Brock Lesnar, Cena was part of a legendary OVW batch. 

He made his first official WWE debut on June 27, answering Kurt Angle's open challenge, marking the start of an extraordinary career.

Transitioning into The Doctor of Thuganomics, Cena turned heel (a wrestling term for a villainous character) and began insulting opponents with his freestyle raps. 

He won his first singles title, the US Championship, at WrestleMania 20 by defeating The Big Show, Paul Wight, and captured his first WWE title a year later at WrestleMania 21. 

This victory marked the dawn of the Cena era, where he reigned supreme in WWE for the next 15 years as the face of the company.

Cena has faced and triumphed over many of WWE's top stars, including Triple H, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Lesnar, Orton, and Edge. 

He defeated Triple H and Shawn Michaels at consecutive WrestleManias in 2006 and 2007. 

In 2012, Cena was part of a dream match against Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, billed as 'Once in a Lifetime' at WrestleMania 28, though the two would face off again the following year.

Despite going part-time six years ago, Cena participated in several high-profile programs. 

In 2021, he returned at the Money in the Bank PPV to feud with Roman Reigns, culminating in a match at SummerSlam where Reigns emerged victorious. 

Last year, Cena embarked on a farewell tour, appearing on SmackDown for seven consecutive weeks, which many believed would be his final run with WWE. 

He served as a special referee in a match between LA Knight and The Miz, partnered with Seth Rollins in a tag-team match against The Imperium, and again with Knight to defeat Jimmy Uso and Solo Sikoa.

Cena, who hasn't won a singles match since 2018, has been hinting at retirement for the past two years. 

Wearing a shirt that read 'The Last Time is Now,' Cena addressed the Scotiabank Arena in Montreal and officially dropped the retirement bombshell. 

Post-retirement, Cena is expected to transition fully into a movie career, having already made a name for himself in Hollywood with roles in films like The Peacemaker, Fast & Furious 9, Suicide Squad, Bumblebee, and Hidden Strike alongside Jackie Chan.

John Cena's legacy in WWE is unparalleled. From his iconic catchphrase "My Time is Now" to his incredible matches and memorable moments, Cena has left an indelible mark on the wrestling world. 

As he steps away from the ring, fans will undoubtedly remember him as one of the greatest of all time, a true legend whose impact will be felt for generations to come.