John Cena has once again made it clear that his retirement from professional wrestling is permanent, explaining that returning for another match would betray the fans who invested in his farewell tour.
Cena appeared at FanExpo Canada at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on Sunday, where fans attending his live event broke into a “one more match” chant.
The 17-time World Champion responded directly, joking that neither WWE President Nick Khan nor AEW President and CEO Tony Khan could offer enough money to convince him to wrestle again. “No Khan has got the pocketbook. Nick, Tony, they ain’t got the money. I’m out,” he said. Cena then offered a more serious explanation for why he intends to stick to his retirement.
Rather than focusing on his physical condition or acting schedule, Cena pointed to the fans who spent significant amounts of money and made sacrifices to attend stops on his farewell tour, particularly those who wanted to witness his final match. “I say that because a lot you folks spent a lot of resources on my farewell tour. If I decide, selfishly, to come back for ego-driven reasons, basically, that’s lying to everyone. You might not mind, but there are people who paid a fortune to sit at that last match. For me to be like, ‘Just kidding.’ I met so many families who put effort into saving just to see those moments. I got out with my health, clarity, and closure.”
Cena’s position is consistent with what he said throughout his retirement run. He announced at WWE Money in the Bank 2024 that 2025 would be his final year as an active in-ring performer and repeatedly insisted throughout the farewell tour that no amount of money would convince him to reverse the decision.
His latest comments carry additional significance because FanExpo Canada took place in Toronto — the same city where Cena originally announced his retirement plans at Money in the Bank two years earlier.
Cena wrestled his final match on December 13, 2025, at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event from Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Gunther earned the opportunity by defeating LA Knight in the final of the Last Time Is Now tournament and ultimately defeated Cena via submission.
The farewell year included one of the most eventful stretches of Cena’s career. He defeated Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship and become a record 17-time World Champion. Cena also turned heel during the run before eventually losing the championship back to Rhodes at SummerSlam.
Throughout his final months as an active competitor, Cena worked with a number of major names, including Randy Orton, CM Punk, Logan Paul, Brock Lesnar, Sami Zayn, AJ Styles and R-Truth, as WWE built much of its 2025 touring schedule around his farewell appearances.
Although Cena has remained involved with WWE since retiring from competition, he has stayed true to his promise not to wrestle again. He hosted WrestleMania 42 after agreeing to the role in February 2026 and appeared alongside The Undertaker for a live podcast recording during WWE World that weekend.
Cena has also continued making convention appearances while focusing heavily on his acting career. For Cena, however, the issue appears to go beyond whether he is physically capable of wrestling another match. His latest comments make clear that he views the conclusion of his farewell tour as a commitment made to the fans who paid to experience it.
With the retirement announcement and his latest declaration both taking place in Toronto, Cena appears determined to ensure that when he said goodbye to the ring, he meant it.
