During WWE’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view on Saturday, John Cena announced his retirement from the company he’s called home for over two decades. Cena made his announcement in the middle of the ring, donning a newly designed “The Last Time Is Now” T-shirt, which is currently on sale at the WWE shop for a cool $32.99 (not including shipping). But before you get too sad, remember that pro wrestling is all about the draw, and Cena’s “Farewell Tour” has been perfectly timed to align with Raw’s move to Netflix in 2025. “I’ve never been a part of Raw on Netflix,” he told the crowd. “That is history, that is a first, and I will be there. And along with that history-making first, we are going to build so many unforgettable lasts. The 2025 Royal Rumble will be my last. The 2025 Elimination Chamber will be my last. And I’m here tonight to announce that in Las Vegas, WrestleMania 2025 will be the last WrestleMania I compete in.” (Of course, this statement doesn’t preclude him appearing on WrestleMania in the future.)
At the end of his speech, Cena announced he’d be kicking off the post-show press conference, where he would “be fielding any and all questions about my retirement” — a thing he probably regretted saying within the first ten minutes of said conference, when he was asked about his career being so entwined with the legacy of Vince McMahon, who is currently under federal investigation for sex trafficking and assault. “Surely an uncomfortable question,” Cena responded, before essentially refusing to answer it. “Man, I really would much rather talk about what’s ahead of us,” he said. “I’ve been pretty honest with my opinion, to answer that question, and if you didn’t see it, I know you can dig it up somewhere.” He then commended the journalist for having the “courage” to ask about the biggest news story to come out of pro wrestling in decades at a WWE press conference.
You don’t have to dig far to find the comments Cena made regarding the many horrifying allegations against McMahon on The Howard Stern Show back in February, before the Department of Justice got involved, but which he apparently wants to double down on now: “There’s the saying of, ‘You don’t know who your friends are until shit hits the fan or your back’s against the wall.’ That doesn’t make any of what’s going on any easier to swallow. But just telling someone ‘Hey, I love ya, man; this is gonna be a hill to climb, and we’ll see what happens.’ That’s that. It sounds so cliché, but it has to be one day at a time. I’ve openly said I love the guy, I have a great relationship with the guy, and that’s that.” Okay! Happy retirement!
