A major change has been made to the plans for John Cena’s retirement match. According to new reports from PWInsider and WrestleVotes, Cena’s farewell bout will no longer take place in his home state of Massachusetts.
Instead, WWE has moved the location to Washington, DC, where it will headline the December 13th Saturday Night’s Main Event special.
This is a surprising shift, as it had long been expected that Cena’s career would end in Boston at the TD Garden. WWE even confirmed this morning that Cena’s final appearances in both Boston and New York will happen in November, but the actual retirement match itself has now been shifted to Washington, DC.
The Boston farewell had been in the works for some time, with Cena’s father even mentioning the plan in a local media interview earlier this year.
The reason behind WWE’s pivot remains unclear, but the change marks a significant update to what is expected to be one of the most emotional nights in recent WWE history.
Cena’s retirement tour has been the central storyline throughout 2025, featuring his record-breaking 17th World Championship win, his shocking heel turn (the first in two decades), and his return to his iconic babyface role.
He is currently in a heated feud with Brock Lesnar, with the two expected to collide at WrestlePalooza later this month.
Here are Cena’s remaining confirmed dates on the farewell tour:
SmackDown – 9/5 – Chicago
RAW – 9/15 – Springfield
WrestlePalooza – 9/20 – Indianapolis
Crown Jewel – 10/11 – Perth
RAW – 11/10 – Boston
RAW – 11/17 – New York City
Survivor Series – 11/29 – San Diego
Saturday Night’s Main Event – 12/13 – Washington, DC (Retirement Match)
WrestleVotes Exclusive:
John Cena’s final match is set for Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13th, live from the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC.
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) September 5, 2025
