WWE has officially announced that 16-time World Champion John Cena will appear on the final episode of SmackDown ahead of WrestleMania 41. The show is set to air live on Friday, April 18th, from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
This special appearance comes just one night before WrestleMania 41 kicks off on Saturday, April 19th, with the two-night event concluding on Sunday, April 20th. Both nights will emanate from Allegiant Stadium, also located in Las Vegas.
Cena, who has not appeared on WWE programming since the March 31st episode of RAW in London, England, is scheduled to compete in the main event on Sunday night. He will challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship in a historic bout that could see Cena break the record for most recognized world title reigns in WWE history.
His return on SmackDown is expected to add further intensity to an already highly anticipated title match, as fans await to see if Cena can make history or if Rhodes will continue his dominant reign as champion.
John Cena is set for next week's Smackdown pic.twitter.com/zC4iHTPf7y
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) April 9, 2025
