John Cena Announces Plans for WWE Retirement in 2025: 'This Is It'

John Cena says 2025 will be his final year in the ring.

During a surprise appearance at the WWE's Money in the Bank event on Saturday, July 6, the 47-year-old wrestling champion announced his intention to retire from the sport in 2025.

"Tonight, I officially announce my retirement from the WWE," Cena told the audience at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

“The 2025 Royal Rumble will be my last. The 2025 Elimination Chamber will be my last, and I’m here tonight to announce that in Las Vegas, WrestleMania 2025 will be the last I compete in.”

Cena's announcement was met with loud booing from fans. "I know, I know, that's a lot to take in, right? Probably a lot of questions out there," he said before delivering a heartfelt message to WWE fans.

"I want to say thank you," Cena told the audience before fans quickly broke out into a "Thank you, Cena" chant throughout the arena.

The wrestler-turned-actor praised the WWE's Canadian fans for "always" supporting the sport and went on to speak about the "tremendous hardship" and "prosperity" he's seen in his two decades in the sport.

"Thank you so much for letting me play in the house that you built for so many years," Cena said. "Thank you so much for your voice because it's really loud, and your honesty, because it's beautifully brutal."

After the appearance, Cena spoke to reporters during a press conference where he clarified his retirement plans for 2025. He confirmed that he will participate in approximately 30 to 40 additional dates running from January through December before stepping away from wrestling next year.

Cena emphasized he has no intention to return to the ring after that.

“People say they’re walking away, and two years later they come back,” he explained. "I want to set the record straight right now. I’m done. This is it."

With the WWE's Netflix debut in January 2025, Cena added that the wrestling business is "at incredible heights of popularity and awareness."

"I take pride in being an individual WWE can call up and say, ‘Remember that idea? The time is now.’ Let’s do something that can bring all of us together," he continued.

Cena began his WWE career in 2001 and has 16 championships. Since his rise to fame as a wrestler, he's expanded his talents to Hollywood, with roles in movies like Suicide Squad and Barbie.

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The announcement comes just weeks after Cena spoke to PEOPLE about his current fitness goals. “At 47 now, my goal is to be physically active until I can't. I put a number in my head of like, I'd like to be physically active into my late 80s or 90s. To do a parallel squat in my late 80s,” he shared. 

“I know my WWE journey is coming to an end, but fitness was a part of my life long before the WWE journey started,” he added.

“Fitness will be a part of my life, hopefully as long as my heart's beating. So the WWE has been a great chapter in my life — it's year 23 for me — and the sun's setting on that chapter in the book, but fitness will never not be a part of my life."