- Wrestler turned actor made a surprise appearance at Money in the Bank event
- Cena announced he will retire from the ring – but not just yet
- Star has been a fixture in WWE for more than 20 years
You might not have seen this – wrestler turned actor John Cena has announced when he plans to make a final retirement from the WWE ring.
Retirement plans
Cena, 47, made a shock appearance at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view event in Toronto. At the event, he then further surprised the crowd by making a speech and in it, he revealed that he plans to officially retire from WWE in 2025.
“I’ve been doing this awhile,” Cena told fans. “I’ve been in WWE for over two decades. But why now? Because it’s Money in the Bank. The ultimate symbol of opportunity.”
While the massed WWE fans in Toronto were audibly disappointed to hear the news that one of the biggest stars in wrestling is calling it quits, there will still be opportunities to see him in the ring before he finally bows out. Cena confirmed he will be at the 2025 editions of Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania.
Cena was touched when fans started chanting ‘thank you, Cena’. “What an incredible gesture of kindness,” he said. “Thank you so much for letting me play in the house that you built for so many years.”
Long career
Cena made his first appearance in WWE in 2001 and over his years in the ring – which have been limited since 2018 as his acting work has taken up more of his time – he has been world champion a record 16 times.
He started out as a villainous rapper character, but after winning his first WWE championship in 2005, he transitioned into a clean-cut hero, and was the public face of the WWE for some years.
Following a well-trodden route, he went into acting, with his first movie appearance coming in 2006’s The Marine. He has since been in numerous films, including the ninth and tenth editions of the Fast and Furious franchise.
