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One of World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) most enduring figures, John Cena, is scheduled to conclude his in-ring career on Saturday, facing Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event. This culmination follows a year-long retirement tour throughout 2025, a period characterized by both critical acclaim and notable creative divergences. The tour has seen Cena navigate a complex narrative landscape, achieving new milestones while oscillating between his long-established heroic persona and an unexpected villainous turn, ultimately delivering what many observers have termed "the full John Cena experience."
A Pivotal Heel Turn and Record-Breaking Achievement
The initial phase of Cena’s farewell year was marked by an ambitious pursuit of a record-breaking 17th world championship, aiming to surpass Ric Flair’s long-standing benchmark of 16 reigns. His journey began at the Royal Rumble, where a highly anticipated main event slot at WrestleMania 41 was at stake. Cena, a perennial favorite, was widely expected to secure victory. However, in a surprising turn, Jey Uso eliminated Cena, denying him the direct path to WrestleMania and setting the stage for a shift in Cena’s character.
Following this setback, Cena declared his intention to earn a WrestleMania opportunity by entering the Elimination Chamber. In a departure from his "Hustle, Loyalty, Respect" ethos, he asserted that "23 years of loyal service to this company" exempted him from qualifying for the match, a requirement for the other five competitors. Cena subsequently secured his spot in the Elimination Chamber. During the match, with only Cena and CM Punk remaining, Seth Rollins, already eliminated, unexpectedly attacked Punk, stomping his head into the metal grating. Cena controversially capitalized on the moment, applying an STF submission hold to secure the victory, signaling a nascent ethical compromise.
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The full extent of Cena’s character transformation materialized shortly thereafter. At the urging of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Cena executed a brutal assault on Cody Rhodes, with musical artist Travis Scott also participating. This highly unexpected heel turn, featuring the company’s long-time standard-bearer embracing villainy, immediately garnered widespread social media and mainstream media attention, becoming a viral moment for WWE.
However, the creative momentum generated by this moment proved challenging to sustain. The subsequent narrative development struggled to provide a consistent rationale for Cena’s villainous actions. At WrestleMania 41, Cena defeated Rhodes in a 25-minute match that critics largely described as a "slog," securing his 17th undisputed WWE Championship and establishing a new record. The victory was facilitated by interference from Scott, with The Rock notably absent from the event despite his previous involvement. Cena subsequently offered a fragmented explanation for his actions, claiming to be in an "abusive relationship with the fans" and expressing a desire to "ruin wrestling for them" by being the "last real champion." This narrative conflicted with Cena’s continued public appearances draped in merchandise advertising his retirement tour, further complicating fan perception. The disappearance of The Rock and Travis Scott from the storyline after their initial intervention significantly diminished the impact of the viral heel turn.
In a later interview, Cena provided insight into the creative process behind the turn, stating, "No, that stuff you see on [WWE] Unreal is real… ‘We need to make Chamber big, so let’s do something that’ll shock everybody. Hey man, we got this idea.’ ‘No problem, I’ll do the best I can.’" This statement suggested that the impetus for the turn may have been more rooted in generating a singular, impactful moment rather than a long-term strategic character arc.
Renewed Rivalries and a Return to Form
As the heel persona failed to fully resonate with audiences, WWE pivoted to familiar territory, leveraging Cena’s extensive history with long-standing rivals. This included a championship defense against Randy Orton, a competitor whose career trajectory closely paralleled Cena’s, leading to numerous high-profile encounters over two decades. Their "storied rivalry," often defined by their shared tenure at the top of the company, produced a decent match at Backlash, with Cena retaining his title.
Cena then engaged in a brief, comedic program with R-Truth, a performer known for his eccentric character and long-held belief that Cena was his childhood hero. The storyline began with Truth confronting Cena at a Backlash press conference, resulting in Cena putting him through a table. Their two matches, occurring at Saturday Night’s Main Event in May (a Cena victory) and a June rematch on SmackDown (a Cena disqualification loss), were brief—totaling just over 10 minutes—but provided a lighthearted interlude amidst the more serious narrative developments of Cena’s heel run.
A more significant rivalry was reignited for Night of Champions, where Cena defended his title against CM Punk. The build-up to this match allowed Cena to more effectively embody his heel character, drawing upon a shared history rich with genuine grievances. Cena notably recreated Punk’s iconic "pipebomb" promo from their acclaimed 2011 program, cleverly reversing their previous roles. In 2011, Punk, then WWE Champion, threatened to leave the company with the title; in 2025, Cena, as champion, used the promo to articulate his disdain for the fans. This dynamic led to one of the most critically lauded matches of Cena’s retirement tour, showcasing the strong in-ring chemistry between the two veterans. However, the match’s narrative was ultimately overshadowed by a series of external interventions involving Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Penta, and Sami Zayn, detracting from the otherwise compelling individual performances.
Following the program with Punk, Cena was once again paired with Cody Rhodes in the build-up to SummerSlam. On the final SmackDown preceding the event, Cena came face-to-face with Rhodes and, without a clear narrative catalyst, unexpectedly reverted to his babyface persona. Cena simply declared he had "lost his way" and proclaimed, "August 1, 2025, the day John Cena came back to WWE." This abrupt shift marked the conclusion of his heel run, positioning Cena to complete his career as the heroic figure he had embodied for the majority of his tenure.
Championship Losses and Grand Slam Status
As anticipated, Cody Rhodes defeated Cena for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam. Their match, contested under "street fight" rules, was widely considered a significant improvement over their WrestleMania encounter, benefiting from the added drama and intensity the stipulation provided. Following the match, Cena, upholding his renewed babyface integrity, shook Rhodes’ hand in a gesture of respect. The event concluded with the shocking and controversial return of Brock Lesnar, who brutally attacked Cena, setting up a new chapter in their long-standing rivalry.
Before a direct confrontation with Lesnar, Cena engaged in a short program with Logan Paul. Having moved past the most intense period of his farewell tour, Cena appeared to exhibit a renewed sense of enjoyment in the ring. This was evident in his Clash in Paris victory over the social media personality-turned-wrestler, where Cena notably incorporated several moves outside his traditional repertoire, showcasing a willingness to experiment in his final appearances.
The anticipated match between Cena and Lesnar took place at Wrestlepalooza, evoking memories of their dominant SummerSlam 2014 encounter, where Lesnar famously delivered 16 German suplexes. Lesnar once again largely dominated Cena. However, the Wrestlepalooza match was broadly considered a disappointment, with ESPN, whose streaming deal with WWE commenced with the event, assigning it a C- grade, while CBS Sports rated it a C. The outcome and execution did not fully live up to the historical precedent of their rivalry.
A true highlight of Cena’s retirement tour materialized in October at Crown Jewel. With minimal pre-match build-up beyond a social media exchange, Cena faced AJ Styles in Australia. Their previous encounters had consistently produced critically acclaimed matches, and Crown Jewel proved no exception. The two veterans delivered a contest that deviated significantly from the typical WWE match structure, incorporating numerous callbacks to moments from their careers and utilizing maneuvers associated with past rivals. This stylistic approach, reminiscent of independent circuit wrestling from the 2010s, allowed for a highly dynamic and engaging performance that stood out as one of Cena’s best during his farewell year.
Following his acclaimed match with Styles, Cena entered the final stretch of his appearances, with one significant career achievement yet to be claimed. In his final WWE ring appearance in Boston, Cena was confronted by Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio. This led to an immediate title match, which Cena won, securing the Intercontinental Championship—the lone major title he had never held in WWE. This victory elevated Cena to the exclusive list of WWE Grand Slam Champions, an honor bestowed upon wrestlers who have held a world championship, a tag team championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and the United States Championship.
Cena’s reign as Intercontinental Champion was brief. After teaming with Sheamus and Rey Mysterio to defeat Judgment Day on his final Raw appearance, Cena defended the title against Dominik Mysterio in a rematch at Survivor Series. A series of external interferences, culminating in the return of Liv Morgan, ultimately led to Mysterio reclaiming the Intercontinental Championship.
All that remains for John Cena’s storied career is his final contest on Saturday night against Gunther, the formidable competitor who triumphed in a dedicated tournament to earn the distinction of being Cena’s last opponent.
Assessment of the Retirement Tour
Evaluating the overall success of John Cena’s retirement tour presents a nuanced challenge. From a creative booking perspective, the tour experienced several inconsistencies. The initial heel turn on Cody Rhodes, while generating immense initial buzz, suffered from a lack of sustained narrative follow-through. The absence of The Rock from subsequent events rendered his initial involvement somewhat inconsequential, leaving Cena to deliver repetitive promos that expressed animosity towards fans, a sentiment that clashed with his long-established persona and merchandising. The subsequent, seemingly unmotivated, babyface turn, while perhaps a necessary course correction, further highlighted the narrative’s fluidity. Furthermore, several of Cena’s matches early in the year were perceived as excessively long and overbooked, with critics suggesting that the duration did not always align with the quality of the in-ring action.
However, as the tour progressed and Cena found his rhythm, he demonstrated flashes of the in-ring brilliance that defined much of his career. His matches against CM Punk and, particularly, AJ Styles, yielded performances that were among the best of his final year, serving as powerful reminders of his capacity to deliver compelling narratives and high-quality wrestling. The achievement of becoming a Grand Slam Champion also provided a fitting and significant career capstone.
Despite the creative missteps and fluctuating match quality, the tour ultimately underscored Cena’s enduring legacy as one of WWE’s most impactful performers. When the elements converged effectively, the tour successfully reinforced his status as a legendary figure capable of producing memorable moments, even in the twilight of his illustrious career.
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