John Cena meets Benji, a young WWE fan battling cancer, during the week of Cena’s final match. (Image via Getty)
John Cena drew the curtain on his illustrious WWE career after wrestling his final match in December 2025. The Never Seen 17 defined a generation in the Stamford-based promotion for more than a decade. At the same time, Cena has made an incredible net worth estimated to be $80 million and has been flourishing as an A-list Hollywood star with multiple outside projects. However, that changed as Cena wrestled his final match in the global juggernaut at December’s WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event 2025. He stood across the ring from Gunther, who earned the opportunity by winning the 16-man ‘The Last Time is Now’ tournament. However, The Never Seen 17 recently stated that he is trying to work out something with WWE, possibly hinting at a new role.
Plus, he is signed to WWE as an ambassador.
Having said that, it is interesting to analyse if Cena would also return to the ring again and how much money would be enough to draw him back to the squared circle. The Cenation Leader himself said in an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, “There is no amount of money and not a check, this is a shot across the bow to any casino owner, any territory owner, any promotion owner, you can’t write me a check to bring me back. Being a man of his word and financially well-off, it can be said that no amount or anything else could lure Cena back to the WWE ring for one more dance.
On the other hand, it has been seen many times that superstars who retire often return for one-off matches or brief in-ring appearances. In our opinion, based on certain aspects, no amount of money would be able to bring back John Cena to wrestle one more match. Ever since John Cena reached his prime as a top WWE superstar, he preached the mantra of ‘Never Give Up’ and had never submitted in a match. The Face that Runs the Place gave the fight of his life against the dominant Ring General. As the match came down to its final moments, Cena attempted to escape the sleeper hold multiple times, but Gunther had it locked firmly. Realising that it was the end for him, Cena tapped out with a smile on his face. He received a huge ovation from the fans after the match and left with a final salute expressing gratitude to them for letting him live his dream. This was Cena’s last appearance on WWE television so far. So it remains to be seen when he will be seen in the company next.
