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John Cena Returns... to Announce His Retirement from WWE

Cena returned at Money in the Bank

Justin Barrasso

For the first time since April, John Cena returned to WWE tonight at Money in the Bank.

But he wasn’t bearing good news.

Cena announced his upcoming retirement from WWE. An emotional promo from the 16-time WWE champ followed, where Cena–who was wearing a The Last Time is Now t-shirt–extended gratitude while expressing his farewell.

This isn’t the end of Cena in WWE. He will wrestle at the Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, and be part of Raw as it moves to Netflix in 2025. Cena, who promised to share more information during the post-show press conference, also vowed his last match will take place at WrestleMania 41, which should be an incredibly emotional moment.

If Cena, 47, actually retires when he says he will, it will mark a rarity in professional wrestling. But his upcoming return/retirement stretch should be exceptional, and it has the makings of a very memorable run.

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Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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