Video: John Cena Reveals He'll Compete in 2025 WWE Royal Rumble Ahead of Retirement
November 14, 2024
John Cena confirmed that he will be competing at Royal Rumble ahead of his previously announced retirement.
WWE @WWEMake sure you're there LIVE in Indianapolis when <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnCena?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JohnCena</a> competes in his very last <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoyalRumble?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoyalRumble</a> Premium Live Event EVER on Feb. 1 🚫👀<br><br>🎟️ Tickets on sale this Friday at 10am ET via <a href="https://twitter.com/Ticketmaster?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Ticketmaster</a> <a href="https://t.co/BFeSO0aAUX">pic.twitter.com/BFeSO0aAUX</a>
Last July at Money in the Bank, Cena announced that he would retire from in-ring competition in 2025. During that promo, Cena said that the next Royal Rumble, which will occur on February 1 in Indianapolis, will be his last.
WWE @WWEBREAKING NEWS: John Cena announced at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MITB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MITB</a> he will retire from in-ring competition in 2025.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThankYouCena?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ThankYouCena</a> <a href="https://t.co/6TPnYI5iU2">pic.twitter.com/6TPnYI5iU2</a>
The latest announcement from Cena confirmed that he'll be wrestling at the event, though. Whether it's in the actual Royal Rumble or a match separate from the 30-man battle royal hasn't yet been confirmed, but Cena will be wrestling in Indianapolis' Lucas Oil Stadium in some capacity.
The 47-year-old Cena, a 16-time world champion, has twice won the Royal Rumble (2008, 2013). He's also had some memorable moments otherwise, including defeating JBL to defend the World Heavyweight Championship in 2009 and taking down AJ Styles for his WWE Championship in 2017.
But this year will mark his final one in the ring. As he noted at the Money in the Bank press conference, WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, which will take place on April 19 and 20, won't mark his final days in the ring.
The plan is for him to go through January to December over a "mid-30s to 40s" amount of dates during that timespan. That would in turn mark the end of his in-ring competition, but Cena noted that WWE and he have agreed for him to stay involved in the WWE family "for an extended time to come."
The big date to circle right now is January 6, 2025, at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles, where the first-ever Raw on Netflix will take place. Cena confirmed at Money in the Bank that he'll be there. And then four weeks later, we'll see Cena at his final-ever Royal Rumble on the road to his last WrestleMania.
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