John Cena’s Retirement Was Kept Secret From WWE Talents (2024)

Amidst the buzz around John Cena’s retirement tour, a new update emerges claiming that WWE talents were not privy to his retirement announcement at the Money in the Bank event.

John Cena at a WWE Show. Image Credits: Getty Images

John Cena sent shockwaves around the wrestling industry after announcing that he intends to cap off his in-ring career in 2025. The sixteen-time World Champion made a surprise appearance in Scotiabank Arena in Canada to a massive pop from the crowd.

Having spent over two decades in WWE, Cena’s announcement regarding his impending retirement was met with a mix of applause and sorrow.

However, a new update reveals that other talents knew nothing about his retirement announcement that night until he was seen walking out to the stage in his “Last Time” merchandise.

WWE talents didn’t know John Cena was going to make his retirement announcement at Money in the Bank

Speaking on Fightful Select’s Backstage Report podcast, Sean Ross Sapp revealed that the talents he spoke to were not privy to John Cena’s retirement announcement until he was spotted in his “The Last Time is Now” merchandise.

Although other WWE personnel knew about his retirement tour due to the production of his new merchandise, the news was kept from the WWE talents.

Sapp stated on Fightful Select’s Backstage Report podcast: “Now talent that I spoke to said they didn’t realize he was going to retire until they saw him the “last time” merchandise. There were several people in the company that knew the news was coming. Obviously, they had to produce the merchandise, but that was kept close to the vest.”

Anyway, John Cena revealed in his speech that he would go on a retirement finale. He expressed his excitement for WWE Raw’s 2025 deal with Netflix, promising that he would be part of it.

In addition, Cena also stated that next year’s Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber will see his final matches, with WrestleMania 41 being the night he’d wrestle his final match before hanging up his boots.

As it stands, the details of John Cena’s matches for his retirement tour haven’t yet been revealed. We will have to wait and see who locks up with the WWE legend before he bids farewell.

CM Punk jokes he would force John Cena out of retirement

The rivalry between CM Punk and John Cena was one of the most memorable feuds in WWE in the early 2010s. Nobody can ever discuss Punk’s career without mentioning John Cena and vice versa. That said, Punk jokes that he’d drag John Cena out of retirement in 15 years.

While speaking during the Money in the Bank media scrum, CM Punk stated, “This retirement that he says he’s gonna adhere to, and this is it, and when the final one happens, that’s gonna be it, like, yeah, 15 years I’ll drag him out of retirement.”

Furthermore, Punk also stated that he met John Cena backstage and discussed locking horns for one last time.

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Given that Cena’s retirement tour has begun and will take center stage in 2025, fans would be stoked at the idea of watching Cena lock up with CM Punk one more time. It remains to be seen if that match materializes soon. Meanwhile, here are the top three wrestlers that John Cena could face in his retirement match.