John Cena's Final Act: A Detailed Examination of His 2025 Retirement Tour

One of the most significant figures in WWE history, John Cena, is poised to conclude his illustrious in-ring career this Saturday, November 29, 2025. His 2025 retirement tour, spanning a turbulent final year, has been characterized by both critical acclaim and notable challenges, culminating in his final scheduled bout against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event. The year has seen Cena navigate a complex narrative, oscillating between traditional babyface and unexpected heel roles, achieving new career milestones, and delivering performances that ranged from critically divisive to highly lauded. This comprehensive review examines the key moments, matches, and narrative shifts that defined the final twelve months of John Cena’s active competition.

A Contentious Heel Turn and Record-Breaking Title Achievement

The initial phase of Cena’s retirement tour was dominated by his pursuit of a historic 17th world championship, a feat that would surpass Ric Flair’s long-standing record of 16 world title reigns. The narrative began at the 2025 Royal Rumble, where Cena, seeking a direct path to the main event of WrestleMania 41, reached the final two competitors against Jey Uso. In a surprising turn, Uso eliminated Cena, denying him the immediate opportunity for the championship match.

Following this setback, Cena adopted a more assertive stance, declaring that wrestling in the main event of WrestleMania was "best for business" and asserting his right to participate in the Elimination Chamber match without qualification, citing "23 years of loyal service to this company." This marked a departure from his traditional heroic persona. His qualification for WrestleMania 41 within the Elimination Chamber further solidified this shift. The match saw Cena secure victory over CM Punk after Seth Rollins interfered, stomping Punk’s head into the steel grating. Cena, seizing the opportunity, applied an STF to the incapacitated Punk, securing the win in a manner uncharacteristic of his established character.

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The definitive heel turn occurred shortly thereafter, orchestrated by The Rock. During an segment, Cena, joined by recording artist Travis Scott, launched a brutal assault on Cody Rhodes. This moment achieved significant traction across social media platforms and garnered widespread media attention, signaling a dramatic change in Cena’s on-screen persona. However, the subsequent execution of this heel turn presented challenges. Reports indicated a lack of sustained narrative planning beyond the initial shock. Cena’s promos, reiterating themes of an "abusive relationship" with the fans and a desire to "ruin wrestling," often appeared contradictory while he continued to be draped in merchandise promoting his farewell tour. The disappearance of The Rock and Travis Scott from the storyline further diluted the long-term impact of the viral heel turn.

At WrestleMania 41, Cena faced Cody Rhodes for the undisputed WWE Championship. The match, which spanned 25 minutes, was widely criticized as a "slog" and culminated in Cena’s victory, securing his record 17th world title, largely due to interference from Travis Scott. The Rock, despite his role in the heel turn, was not present. Cena later offered insight into the spontaneity of the booking, stating in a recent interview, "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 suggested that some pivotal moments were conceived primarily for immediate impact rather than long-term character development.

Revived Rivalries and a Return to Form

The heel run, despite its initial viral success, struggled to gain consistent traction with the audience. WWE subsequently leaned into Cena’s extensive history, initiating a series of matches against long-standing adversaries. The first such encounter was a WWE Championship defense against Randy Orton at Backlash. The rivalry between Cena and Orton, a hallmark of their respective careers, has been characterized by their parallel prominence in the promotion over two decades, though their in-ring chemistry has not always been universally acclaimed. Cena successfully retained his championship in what was described as a "decent match."

A brief, more lighthearted program followed with R-Truth. This interaction commenced when R-Truth confronted Cena at a Backlash press conference, leading to Cena putting him through a table. Cena defeated Truth at Saturday Night’s Main Event in May, followed by a disqualification loss in their June rematch on SmackDown. This comedic interlude, totaling just over 10 minutes of in-ring action across both matches, provided a refreshing diversion during a period where Cena’s heel character was perceived as floundering, capitalizing on years of comedic exchanges and R-Truth’s long-held claim of Cena being his childhood hero.

The Night of Champions event reignited another classic rivalry, pitting Cena against CM Punk. This particular feud allowed Cena to effectively integrate his heel persona, drawing on their significant shared history and genuine grievances. Cena notably delivered his own rendition of Punk’s iconic "pipebomb" promo from their 2011 program, cleverly reversing their previous roles where Punk, then champion, threatened to leave the company with the title. Cena and Punk demonstrated their strong in-ring chemistry, delivering one of the most highly regarded matches of Cena’s retirement tour. However, the contest was marred by excessive external interference from Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Penta, and Sami Zayn, which ultimately detracted from the narrative flow of the match itself.

The heel turn concluded abruptly ahead of SummerSlam. During a face-to-face confrontation with Cody Rhodes on the final pre-SummerSlam SmackDown, Cena declared he had "lost his way" and proclaimed, "August 1, 2025, the day John Cena came back to WWE," signaling an immediate return to his traditional babyface role without extensive narrative build-up.

Championship Losses, New Achievements, and Defining Encounters

At SummerSlam, Cody Rhodes predictably reclaimed the WWE Championship from Cena. The match, contested under "street fight" rules, was widely considered an improvement over their WrestleMania 41 encounter, offering enhanced drama and intensity. Following his loss, Cena, in alignment with his babyface turn, shook Rhodes’ hand in a gesture of respect. This moment was immediately overshadowed by the shocking and controversial return of Brock Lesnar, who brutally attacked Cena, setting up a new program.

Before a direct confrontation with Lesnar, Cena engaged in a short program with Logan Paul. At Clash in Paris, Cena defeated the social media influencer-turned-wrestler, showcasing a more liberated in-ring style by incorporating moves outside his customary repertoire, indicative of a performer who appeared to be enjoying his final run.

The anticipated match between Cena and Lesnar took place at Wrestlepalooza. The encounter evoked memories of their dominant SummerSlam 2014 match, where Lesnar delivered 16 German suplexes. Lesnar once again dominated Cena, though the match itself was largely deemed a disappointment by critics. ESPN, whose streaming deal with WWE commenced with Wrestlepalooza, assigned the match a C-grade, while CBS Sports provided a C.

A significant highlight of Cena’s retirement tour occurred in October at Crown Jewel, where he faced AJ Styles. The match was initiated with minimal build-up, stemming from a social media exchange between the two. Cena and Styles, renowned for their exceptional in-ring chemistry, delivered a performance that diverged from typical WWE match structures. The contest featured numerous callbacks to moments throughout their respective careers and incorporated moves from various past rivals, echoing the stylistic approaches often seen on the independent circuit in the 2010s. This match is frequently cited as one of the best of Cena’s entire career.

In his final WWE appearance in Boston, Cena achieved a career milestone. Challenged by Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio, Cena won the title in an immediate match, thereby capturing the sole championship that had eluded him in WWE. This victory officially designated Cena as a Grand Slam Champion, a prestigious list of 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. Following a victory alongside Sheamus and Rey Mysterio against The Judgment Day on his final Raw appearance, Cena defended the title against Dominik Mysterio in a rematch at Survivor Series. The match was characterized by extensive interference, culminating in the return of Liv Morgan, which allowed Mysterio to defeat Cena and regain the Intercontinental Championship.

All that remains in Cena’s storied career is his final match this Saturday against Gunther, who earned the privilege of being Cena’s last opponent by winning a dedicated tournament.

Assessment of the Retirement Tour

Evaluating the overall success of John Cena’s 2025 retirement tour presents a mixed perspective. The booking decisions, particularly in the initial phases, were often perceived as underwhelming. The impactful heel turn on Cody Rhodes, while generating immediate attention, lacked sustained narrative follow-through, and the absence of The Rock from subsequent developments rendered parts of the storyline incongruous. Cena’s repeated promos expressing disdain for the fanbase, juxtaposed with his continued promotion of his farewell, created a disconnect.

The abrupt and largely unexplained pivot back to a babyface persona was seen by many as a corrective measure, potentially necessitated by the planned return and attack by Brock Lesnar, which would have been difficult to execute with Cena in a villainous role. Furthermore, several of Cena’s matches early in the year were criticized for their excessive length and overbooked nature, with some observers noting that Cena did not appear conditioned for 25-minute contests.

However, as the year progressed, Cena demonstrably found his rhythm. His match against CM Punk, despite the interference, showcased his enduring in-ring ability, and his encounter with AJ Styles at Crown Jewel is widely regarded as a highlight of his entire career. These performances served as a potent reminder of Cena’s capacity to deliver high-quality, impactful wrestling when the narrative and opponent aligned. Despite various missteps in the creative direction, the tour ultimately underscored Cena’s status as one of the most accomplished and compelling performers in WWE history. In this respect, the final year of John Cena’s active competition can be deemed a success.

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