5 Ups & 8 Downs From John Cena's WWE Retirement Tour
Now that it's over, how does Cena's farewell tour stack up? Did the heel turn ruin it?
John Cena’s WWE career is officially in the books, and the dissection of his career and its lasting impact already has begun.
But what can we say about Cena’s actual retirement tour itself? It’s rare for a wrestler to give himself a year-long runway to say goodbye to fans. Ever since he announced his farewell tour in mid-2024, fans have speculated about what would happen during this period. Would he chase a record 17th world title? Would he pair up with an up-and-coming wrestler and mentor them? Would he have a series of matches against some of his biggest rivals?
Fans got their answer throughout the year, and the results from this retirement arc was… well, mixed. WWE had more than six months to map his appearances, and yet it was one rash, seismic act that had no long-term planning associated with it that very nearly derailed everything.
Cena turning heel had been something fans had been clamoring for for more than 15 years. The problem was that by the time WWE got around to it in 2025, fans were more than willing to just accept babyface Cena and enjoy him as-is. That, coupled with the lack of planning and poor execution nearly doomed Cena.
But this story had a redemption arc, and Cena managed to right the ship before reaching the end of the journey. So let’s dive into the moments that stood out during this unique retirement year and see how things stacked up.
Let’s get to it…