JOHN Cena shocked the WWE universe by announcing his retirement Saturday night.
The wrestling legend, 47, dropped the bombshell news at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view.
2
His final event will be at WrestleMania in 2025.
Cena slid into the ring in trademark fashion in Toronto, Ontario in Canada on Saturday.
But he quickly showed fans this was no ordinary entrance to a WWE ring.
Cena simply said, “Tonight, I officially announce my retirement from the WWE.”
He wore a resigned look on his face as he delivered the news to fans.
Huge gasps could be heard from the audience on the live TV feed.
Cena has been with the WWE since 2001 – and will quit the brand after 24 years.
He said, “I have 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’ve got right now.
“WWE is the hottest ticket in town, no doubt. And I’ve also seen tremendous hardship.
“That’s when noone knows your name, nobody wants to be a friend and only the most dedicated, hardcore fans stand by your side.
“In all those years, one of the most important, impressive things that I learned was whether the WWE was hot or cold, Canadians always show up.”
The entire arena broke out into chants of “Cena, Cena” and “Thank you Cena.”
Fans on social media also reacted to the shocking news.
“A childhood hero,” one wrote.
Final fantasy
Fans flooded social media after John Cena’s retirement announcement to beg for a dream WrestleMania showdown with Randy Orton.
Cena will retire after the showpiece event in Las Vegas, Nevada, in 2025 and WWE fans are adamant on who they want to fight him.
And Orton once said in an interview, “If I can somehow find myself in a situation where I’m fighting Cena at WrestleMania for the title.
“I don’t know how you get there, I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but I have never wrestled John at WrestleMania in a singles match.
“We’ve had some wars over the years. Being able to revisit that is not only something I would want, I think the fans would eat it up too.”
“Genuinely might cry,” another posted.
“Thank you Cena. Wow man,” a third said.
While one more commented, “I was not prepared for this news today.”
Cena confirmed he will be part of WWE Raw’s move to Netflix next year.
He added that WrestleMania in Las Vegas in 2025 will be his last.
An emotional Cena said, “Thank you so much for letting me play in the house you built for so many years.”