After twenty years in the ring, John Cena declared on Saturday night that he will retire from professional wrestling the following year.
The World Wrestling Entertainment crowd in Toronto cheered in dismay when the wrestler-turned-actor made a moving speech and said that the 2025 season would be his last. He told supporters that he would stay connected to the wrestling company that gave him his start in the business and promised a farewell tour with numerous concerts and an incredible championship match.
Mr. Cena thanked the audience, saying, “I’m so grateful that you let me perform in the house you built for so many years.”
After the game, Mr. Cena told reporters in a press conference that although he feels physically “at my end,” he doesn’t have to give up on the sport he adores.
16-time WWE champion Mr. Cena first gained notoriety in the early 2000s as the beloved rapper known as the “Doctor of Thuganomics,” who challenged his rivals to rap fights while wearing gold chains and a backwards hat. He went on to play more well-known roles in the movie and in the ring.
Mr. Cena starred in two blockbuster movies: “Blockers” and “The Suicide Squad.” He has been in several Fast & Furious films; his most recent appearances were in “Argylle” and “Barbie.
