Gerrard Kaonga
John Cena stunned a packed out crowd as he announced that he would be officially retiring from wrestling in the WWE.
I guess we won’t be seeing John Cena for much longer... not that we could ever see him much to begin with. The wrestling legend turned Hollywood actor is one of the big reasons many fans got into the sport in the first place.
So his retirement news has certainly gripped the wrestling community.
The 47-year-old made a surprise appearance at the promotion's Money in the Bank pay-per-view event in Toronto on July 6 to make the announcement.
Advert
But thankfully, his retirement isn’t immediate and fans will have a chance to see the 16-time world champion in action at least a few more times before he hangs it up for good.
During his emotional speech, Cena said he would be retirement after a retirement tour that will seen him perform at signature shows Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania.
Speaking in the ring on Saturday night, Cena said: 'Why am I here? Tonight I officially announce my retirement from the WWE.
“I hear a mixed opinion out there. A lot of questions maybe, right? Like, why here? I want to talk about that for a second. I want to talk about Toronto. Matter of fact, I want to talk about Canada. Matter of fact, I want to talk about Canadians.
“I've been doing this a while. I've been in WWE for over two decades and in that time I've seen incredible waves of prosperity like we got right now. WWE is the hottest ticket in town, no doubt.
“And I've also seen tremendous hardship and that's when nobody knows your name, nobody wants to be your friend and only the most dedicated, hardcore fans stand by your side.
“So in all those years one of the most important, one of the most impressive things that I learned was whether the WWE was hot or cold, Canadians always show up.
“All of you built this to what it is today which makes this, in my mind, the perfect place to say what I've got to say.
“This farewell does not end tonight. It is filled with opportunity. Everybody, RAW makes history next year when it moves to Netflix.
"I've never been a part of RAW on Netflix. That is history. That is a first and I will be there.
“Along with that history-making first, we are going to build so many unforgettable lasts.
“The 2025 Royal Rumble will be my last. The 2025 Elimination Chamber will be my last and I'm here tonight to announce that WrestleMania Las Vegas in 2025 will be the last WrestleMania I compete in.
He closed with a final thank you to the fans for making his career what it is.
He said: “Thank you so much always for your voice, because it's really loud and your honesty because it's beautifully brutal. and most of all thank you so much for allowing me to be here with you tonight to let the world know we are planning something unforgettable which also involves me returning to Toronto to kick some a**.”