John Cena made a dramatic appearance at the start of this week’s Raw After WrestleMania, addressing his upcoming retirement. He revealed that he only has 27 more scheduled appearances left—not matches—before he steps away from WWE for good. During his passionate promo, he called out the fans for their inconsistent reactions toward a top superstar, expressing frustration over their shifting loyalties.
Cena didn’t hold back, criticizing the audience for cheering and booing the same wrestler within days. He specifically mentioned Cody Rhodes, who had “finished his story” last year, only to now be met with disdain. Cena called the fans “heartless bastards” for their fickle behavior, suggesting that this hypocrisy was a major problem in WWE today.
The 16-time world champion then declared that no current WWE superstar possesses his level of “ruthless aggression” or courage. He boldly claimed that nobody had what it took to take his title from him, telling the crowd to take a good look at the “last real champion.” However, his speech was abruptly cut short when his longtime rival, Randy Orton, ambushed him with a sudden RKO, leaving Cena lying out in the ring.
This surprise attack appears to set up a highly anticipated match between the two legends at WWE Backlash in three weeks. Both Cena and Orton are advertised for the event, making this Cena’s first Backlash appearance since 2009—and likely his last before his official retirement in December 2025. The two have a storied rivalry, and with both openly expressing a desire for one final showdown, this match could be a major moment in WWE history.
How much of John Cena will we see in 2025?
The first part of tonight’s Raw featured John Cena revealing how many appearances he has left before retiring from wrestling. During the segment, which included crowd interaction and a surprise RKO, the new Undisputed WWE Champion discussed his future. Cena displayed a simple countdown on the screen that read “36 dates.”
At first, Cena explained this was the number of dates remaining on his contract. But he warned that time moves quickly. He then started counting his past appearances, and the number on the screen dropped. By the end, only 27 dates were left, including tonight’s show.
Cena clarified that these 27 were his final appearances, not matches, just show-ups. He emphasized he might not even wrestle, just appear and speak. The crowd reacted with boos as he made it clear his time was running out.
Once the countdown reached zero, Cena stated his wrestling career would officially end. He declared the “professional wrestling timeline stops cold” after that. This marked a major moment, signaling his impending retirement from the ring.