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John Cena Puts Rumors About His WWE Retirement Match To Bed

The Never Seen 17-Time World Champion will wrestle his final match this December, but who John Cena will face is still unknown.
Rick Ucchino|
John Cena
John Cena | WWE

The last time is indeed now.

Soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer John Cena is quickly approaching the final four dates in his WWE career, and the unequivocal Greatest of All-Time is reassuring fans that this is the conclusive end to his run as an active in-ring competitor.

While his opponent is still unknown, the Never Seen 17-Time World Champion will wrestle his final match at Saturday Night's Main Event on December 13. Tickets for the event at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. are now on sale, and Cena used a WWE promotional post on social media Friday to remind everyone that there will not be a comeback down the line. Despite whatever rumors may be making their way around the internet.  

“Despite any speculation or rumors, on July 6, 2024 I announced I would retire from WWE in ring participation. I am far from perfect but strive to be a person whose word has value. 12/13/25 will be my final match. I am beyond grateful for every moment WWE has given me. I am excited for 12/13 & look forward to seeing all of you one last time.”
John Cena on X

It's hard to say where the source of the speculation surrounding Cena's last match is originating. Perhaps those rumors are based more on hope than actual fact, because the former WWE Champion is on a heck of run over these last few months.

Cena's matches with Cody Rhodes, Sami Zayn, and most recently AJ Styles, are among his best in years. His clash with Styles at Crown Jewel is a match of the year candidate that was chock full of emotional tributes to the professional wrestling industry.

The next scheduled WWE appearance for Cena will be in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts. He'll be at the November 10 edition of Monday Night Raw at the TD Garden, and then follow that up with his last stop at Madison Square Garden in New York City a week later.

It has not been confirmed if John will be wrestling on either one of those shows, but once they are over, he'll have just two stops left — Survivor Series: WarGames in San Diego and Saturday Night's Main Event in the Nation's Capitol.

Who will John Cena's final opponents be?

Dominik Mysterio
Dominik Mysterio | WWE

There's no shortage of potential opponents available to John Cena as he starts to wind things down. The Miz, a former rival who defeated him in the main event of WrestleMania, has been very vocal about wanting to lock up with Cena one last time.

World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins had to be considered a favorite, especially after he declared himself to be the 'Greatest of All-Time' following his win over Cody Rhodes at Crown Jewel. However, that match is no longer possible with Rollins likely heading toward shoulder surgery.

Two other names that keep making their way around the rumor mill are former World Heavyweight Champion Gunther, and the reigning Men's Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio.

WWE is reportedly discussing having Cena challenge Mysterio for the IC Title in his hometown of San Diego, and then beat Dom to finally capture the one championship he's never held. John would then have one opportunity to defend the Intercontinental Championship at Saturday Night's Main Event before calling it a career.

We cannot stress enough, however, that none of this is official as of right now.

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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