John Cena obtained assist from Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Jelly Roll earlier than his WWE rematch match — however their congratulations didn’t assist him win.
WWE aired video tributes from sports activities and leisure superstars on WWE SmackDown on Friday, December 12, earlier than Cena, 48, entered the ring for the ultimate time on the Capital One Area in Washington D.C. for Saturday Evening’s Important Occasion on Saturday, December 13. Cena put up a superb struggle in his ultimate battle with WWE star Gunther, however in the end misplaced the match by tapping out to a choke maintain.
Earlier than the disappointing consequence, NFL icon Peyton, 49, and his brother Eli Manning supplied Cena congratulations on wrapping up his legendary WWE profession.
“I’ve received to warn you if you enter the grocery retailer or step into your storage, there’s no entrance music in any respect in retirement, until you play it your self in your AirPods,” Peyton joked. “In order that’s a free tip from me to you. Congrats once more, pal.”
Eli, 44, added, “You impressed so many individuals. You received a ton of championships, nearly spectacular sufficient for me to overlook the truth that you’re a die-hard Patriots fan. However hey, I suppose nobody’s excellent, together with the ’07 Patriots.”
Jelly Roll — who wrestled a WWE match earlier this 12 months— referred to as Cena the “the legendary, by no means seen 17” in his tribute message. (Cena received his record-breaking seventeenth WWE World Championship at WrestleMania 41.)
“John Cena, the legendary, by no means seen 17. Man, thanks for all these years,” the musician, 41, instructed him. “Thanks for the inspiration. Thanks for being the function mannequin that all of us wanted. You deserve this, brother. Congratulations, pleased retirement.”
The West Newbury, Massachusetts native even obtained a particular video on Friday from former New England Patriot Brady.
Brady, 48, instructed Cena. “Congratulations on an unimaginable profession. You’ve impacted the lives of so many individuals contained in the ring and outdoors the ring. Good luck in your final match. I hope you fare higher in yours than I did in mine.”
Different celebrities who contributed goodbye movies for Cena included Tonight Present host Jimmy Fallon and hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg.
John Cena salutes after ultimate WWE match. Courtesy of WWE / Peacock
Following the robust loss in his retirement match, Cena was joined across the ring by many contemporaries — together with CM Punk and Triple H — to take a ultimate bow within the ring. Cena was then gifted along with his personal replicas of WWE championship belts.
Cena shocked WWE followers throughout a shock look on the Cash within the Financial institution stay occasion in Toronto, Canada’s Scotiabank Area on July 6, 2024, when he introduced his “retirement from the WWE.”
The 17-time WWE World Champion confirmed that he deliberate to dedicate a lot of his 2025 schedule to professional wrestling — although he nonetheless managed to movie two films, action-adventure comedy Matchbox and the Netflix comedy Little Brother.
“This farewell doesn’t finish tonight. It’s full of alternative,” he promised in July 2024. ”I need to say thanks. Thanks a lot for letting me play in the home that you just constructed for therefore a few years. Thanks a lot at all times to your voice, as a result of it’s actually loud and your honesty as a result of it’s fantastically brutal. And most of all thanks a lot for permitting me to be right here with you tonight.”
Cena kicked off his retirement tour by competing within the Royal Rumble Match in January and profitable the Males’s Elimination Chamber Match the next month. At WrestleMania 41 in April, Cena had some assist from rapper Travis Scott to win the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes.
Cena finally misplaced the championship again to Rhodes in a Avenue Battle at SummerSlam in August, earlier than battling the likes of Brock Lesnar, A.J. Types and Dominik Mysterio within the lead-up to his ultimate match in opposition to Gunther on Saturday.
Earlier than the Saturday Evening’s Important Occasion particular, Cena instructed Jimmy Kimmel Dwell! that he’s severe about by no means wrestling once more.
Whereas John Cena obtained some reward from his ultimate opponent this week, it wasn’t all smiles and rainbows. Earlier than Cena’s ultimate match — which is able to come on Saturday, December 13, at WWE’s Saturday Evening’s Important Occasion at Capitol One Area in Washington, D.C. — his opponent, Gunther, instructed Those who “it’s simple” that Cena is […]
“It’s bizarre, there’s lots of skepticism on the market as a result of this has by no means been accomplished earlier than,” he defined on Wednesday, December 10. “I simply hope folks can come to grips with that as a result of on the thirteenth — the rationale I needed to offer folks a lot lead time — is with the ability to carry out for 20 years, folks permitting me into their dwelling rooms week after week, 52 weeks a 12 months, no reruns, you do really feel a reference to folks. … I needed to offer folks a heads up so folks may course of no matter closure they needed for the thirteenth.”
Cena began wrestling in 1999 and signed with WWE two years later. After a 12 months in WWE’s improvement league, Ohio Valley Wrestling, he made his first WWE SmackDown look on June 27, 2002, for a match in opposition to former Olympian Kurt Angle.
Nicknamed the “Physician of Thuganomics,” Cena parlayed his success in WWE right into a mainstream film profession, having starred in blockbusters like The Suicide Squad, F9: The Quick Saga and Blockers. Cena additionally at the moment seems within the HBO Max streaming hit Peacemaker.
He opened as much as WWE interviewer Tom Rinaldi on Monday, December 8, about why it was time for him to step away from wrestling.
“I selected to retire,” Cena stated. “I made a promise to the WWE that I might not stick round when my abilities can’t match the product, and so they can’t. I’m 48. My 40-yard time has gone like [down]. I can’t match up with the product now, and that’s okay, as a result of what I do isn’t who I’m. The belief of that has helped me come to love, no, let these guys have it now as a result of they’re actually good. All I might be doing is a disservice to the buyer if I’m going any level past this.”
WWE Saturday Evening’s Important Occasion is out there to stream now through Peacock.
