WWE icon John Cena has officially stepped away from professional wrestling, closing the chapter on a 24-year career following his last match at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. on Saturday.
Cena made his final appearance at Saturday Night’s Main Event, taking on Gunther in a farewell showdown.
The 48-year-old suffered defeat after being compelled to submit to a sleeper hold in a match that ran just under 25 minutes, bringing an end to one of the most accomplished careers in WWE history.
Inside the arena, fans looked on in shock as Gunther stubbornly maintained the hold in the final moments, ignoring loud chants encouraging Cena to keep fighting.
When Cena finally tapped out, several fans were visibly emotional, with some in tears.
The conclusion left the crowd stunned, as Cena — famously known throughout his career for never submitting — was forced to tap out for the first time, ultimately succumbing to Gunther’s sleeper hold.
Once the match ended, fellow WWE superstars poured out from the locker room to pay tribute to him.
Cena then placed his wristbands and boots in the ring — a customary symbol of retirement — before walking up the ramp, pausing to turn around and give one last salute to the fans and cameras.
He retires as a 17-time world champion, holding the record for the most recognised title reigns in WWE.
Cena also headlined WrestleMania six times and is broadly considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers ever.
His signature catchphrase, “You Can’t See Me”, became one of the most iconic slogans in sports entertainment.
Cena made his WWE debut in 2002 in a loss to Kurt Angle and initially found it difficult to break through as a singles competitor.
His fortunes changed after he embraced the “Doctor of Thuganomics” persona, a freestyle-rap character that quickly won over fans.
Outside the ring, Cena transitioned successfully into Hollywood, becoming one of the rare WWE performers to achieve lasting success as a movie star.
He revealed at the Money in the Bank Premium Live Event on July 6, 2024, that he would retire from in-ring competition at the end of 2025.
His farewell tour began at the Royal Rumble in January, where he was eliminated by Jey Uso.
He later surprised audiences by turning heel — adopting a villain role — for the first time since 2003 at Elimination Chamber on March 1.
Cena then captured his historic 17th world championship by defeating Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania in April, before losing both the title and the villain persona back to Rhodes at SummerSlam in August.
A tournament was later held to decide Cena’s final opponent, with Gunther emerging victorious to earn the chance to face him at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Speaking after the show, current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes became emotional while discussing Cena’s legacy.
”“It’s just still like, when it’s that good you don’t want it to end and I know that’s vague but he did everything by the book and taught so many people and set such a high standard, such a high bar,” Rhodes said.