World Wrestling Entertainment legend John Cena has officially retired from professional wrestling, ending a remarkable 24 year in ring career following his final appearance at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Saturday.
The farewell bout took place at Saturday Night’s Main Event, where the 48 year old faced Gunther in what turned out to be the last match of his wrestling career. Cena was defeated after submitting to a sleeper hold in a contest that lasted nearly 25 minutes.
Fans inside the packed arena watched in shock as Gunther maintained pressure on the veteran star during the closing stages of the match. Despite loud chants urging Cena to fight on, the former champion eventually tapped out, marking the first submission loss of his WWE career.
Moments after the bell, emotions filled the arena as several supporters were seen in tears. Cena, known throughout his career for resilience and never giving up, stunned fans by submitting for the first time in his long career.
In a show of respect, several WWE superstars came out from the locker room to honour him. Cena later removed his wristbands and boots and left them in the ring, a symbolic gesture signalling the end of his in ring journey, before walking up the ramp and giving a final salute to the crowd.
Cena retires as a 17 time world champion, the highest number of recognised title reigns in WWE history. He also headlined WrestleMania six times and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.
He first appeared in WWE in 2002, losing his debut match to Kurt Angle. His career later took a major turn after he introduced the Doctor of Thuganomics character, which quickly made him popular among fans through freestyle rap promos.
Beyond wrestling, Cena successfully built a strong career in Hollywood, becoming one of the most successful crossover stars from WWE.
Cena had earlier announced at the Money in the Bank event in July 2024 that he would retire from active wrestling at the end of 2025. His retirement tour began at the Royal Rumble in January, where he was eliminated by Jey Uso.
He later surprised fans by turning villain for the first time in over two decades at the Elimination Chamber event in March. Cena went on to win his record breaking 17th world title at WrestleMania in April before losing it back to Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam in August.
A special tournament was organised to determine his final opponent, with Gunther emerging winner to earn the farewell match.
Speaking after the event, current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes praised Cena’s legacy, saying his influence and standard of excellence shaped generations of wrestlers and made his departure difficult for fans to accept.
