John Cena announces retirement from professional wrestling

John Cena announces retirement from professional wrestling after 2025 season

/ 09:51 AM July 08, 2024

John Cena at the premiere of "Bumblebee." Image: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

John Cena at the premiere of “Bumblebee.” Image: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

John Cena announced that he will retire from professional wrestling next year after two decades in the ring.

The wrestler-turned-actor delivered a heartfelt speech to a stadium of World Wrestling Entertainment fans in Toronto, who booed in disappointment as Cena said the 2025 season would be his last.

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He promised a farewell tour with dozens of dates and an epic final fight, and he assured fans he would remain involved with the wrestling franchise that launched his career.

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“Thank you so much for letting me play in the house that you built for so many years,” Cena told the crowd.

In a news conference after the event, Cena told reporters that he feels physically “at my end,” but that doesn’t mean he needs to distance himself from the sport he loves.

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Cena is a 16-time WWE champion who burst onto the scene in the early 2000s as the fan-favorite “Doctor of Thuganomics,” a rapper character decked in gold chains and a backward hat who challenged his wrestling opponents to rap battles.

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He went on to portray other popular characters, both in the ring and on the big screen.

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Cena played starring roles in the films “Blockers” and “The Suicide Squad.”

He has made multiple appearances in the “Fast & Furious” franchise and appeared most recently in the comedy thriller “Argylle” and the box office hit “Barbie.”

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