John Cena said he chose to end his in-ring career because he could feel his physical abilities declining—and worried that continuing at full-time intensity would affect both his own performance and his wrestling partners. He described that decision in a May 2025 appearance on Stephanie McMahon’s Stephanie’s Places. His farewell is now complete: Cena’s final match was against Gunther on December 13, 2025.
What John Cena said about retiring
In the interview, Cena recalled feeling disappointed by what he could no longer do in his personal gym. He connected those limits to wrestling, saying he felt his skills were declining. His explanation was about the demands of continuing to wrestle full time—not a disclosed diagnosis or a medical prognosis.
“My skills are on the regress,” Cena said in the interview. He described how he thought continued full-time physical involvement could affect everyone in the ring: “If I continue at a full-time physical capability or involvement, I’m not gonna run right, my partner’s not gonna run right, and our relationship isn’t gonna run right.”
He also made clear how much performing still meant to him: “I wish I was 18, I wish I felt great because I don’t feel more at home—besides in the arms of my wife—than I do on a canvas.” The remarks capture the tension in his decision: he loved wrestling, but felt that continuing at the level the job required could compromise the performance and relationships that mattered to him. Wrestling Inc.’s report on the interview corroborated the substance of his explanation.
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Why he wanted a wrestling farewell
Rather than simply step away, Cena said he pitched WWE on a “real wrestling farewell,” hoping the company would see value in giving his in-ring career a proper ending. He was explaining his plan during the interview; the farewell that followed has since taken place.
On September 30, 2025, WWE announced that Cena’s final match would headline Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13 in Washington, D.C., concluding a year-long farewell tour. WWE’s announcement set the date and event.
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How John Cena’s final match ended
Gunther defeated Cena by submission on December 13, 2025. WWE’s event results record the match as Cena’s goodbye to the WWE Universe. WWE later stated that Cena had retired from in-ring competition in December 2025 and announced him as host of WrestleMania 42 on March 30, 2026. That hosting role is distinct from wrestling in a match.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What his explanation does—and doesn’t—establish
Cena’s account is a personal explanation of a career decision: he noticed limits in training, believed his skills were declining, and did not want full-time wrestling to undermine his performance or his partners’. It does not establish a specific health condition, a medical assessment, or a general rule about when wrestlers should retire.
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