WWE RAW brings bad news for John Cena fans

John Cena returned to RAW on June 9, beat Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed Title. 2025 is his retirement tour and 17 of 36 appearances are already done.

Published on: Jun 12, 2025, 12:44:03 IST

By HT News Desk

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John Cena is ready to leave the squared ring come December of this year. The undisputed WWE champion announced at Money in the Bank 2024 that he will be retiring from the sport and called 2025 his retirement tour. This started off with an appearance at Royal Rumble on February 2, the first of 36 appearances that Cena had signed up for with the WWE over the course of this year.

John Cena returned to WWE RAW on June 9. (Getty Images via AFP)

On June 9, John Cena returned to RAW and defeated Cody Rhodes to win the Undisputed Title. As of today, he has already made 17 of the 36 visits, which brings his retirement tour to its halfway mark.

This leaves a 6-month window for competitors in the ring to break his all-time record of 17 WWE Championship wins. Although he had made it clear that these were appearances and not matches, with Seth Rollins included as part of Money in the Bank this year, many believe that this might be sufficient motivation for him to look the other way and declare it a match instead.

At 48 years old, Cena has already built a legacy in WWE and wishes to exit the sport without leaving any unfinished business behind. He claimed he was no longer as fast as he used to be and wished to remain a retired wrestler instead of struggling on the sidelines. Although fans are sad to see the legend leave the ring, Cena believes that his time is now up.

The option to continue his association with the sport in the capacity of an ambassador or special appearances via a WWE Legend Contract will remain, although there is no indication as of the moment whether Cena is interested in picking up such a deal.

He will next be seen defending his title against CM Punk at the Night of Champions 2025 on June 28.

By Stuti Gupta

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
HT News Desk
Follow the latest breaking news, major developments and agenda-setting stories from India and around the world with the newsdesk at Hindustan Times. Operating round the clock, the desk brings together experienced editors, reporters and correspondents to deliver fast, accurate and contextual reporting across subjects that influence public policy, governance, business, society and international affairs. The HT News Desk covers politics, elections, government policies, the economy, business and markets, science and technology, the environment, law and order, infrastructure, education, climate issues and geopolitics, while closely tracking developments across states, institutions and global capitals. The team also leads coverage of major breaking news events, policy announcements, court proceedings, natural disasters, public emergencies and significant international developments. Reports published by the newsdesk are based on information gathered from reporters on the ground, official statements, government agencies, court records, regulatory filings, recognised institutions and other authoritative sources. Stories undergo editorial scrutiny and verification processes to ensure accuracy, fairness and relevance, and are updated as events evolve and additional information becomes available. Whether covering a key political decision in New Delhi, an economic policy shift affecting millions, a landmark court ruling or a major global event, the HT News Desk aims to provide readers with reliable, fact-based journalism that delivers not only the latest developments but also the context and analysis needed to understand their wider implications.Read More

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