WWE's John Cena Responds To 'Skepticism' That SNME Won't Actually Be His Last Match

In just over one week, John Cena will say goodbye to his signature jorts and wrestling sneakers when he competes in his last match at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event in Washington, D.C. En route to it, though, many fans have doubted its finality. According to Cena himself, December 13 will indeed mark his official in-ring retirement — something he reiterated on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

"It has been a crazy year where I announced this like 15 months in advance of I'm going to retire," Cena said. "This has really never been done in WWE history. WWE Superstars don't necessarily retire, they always kind of hang on for one more match. I am absolutely, 100% done on the 13th of December on Peacock. It is my last in-ring performance. I will never wrestle again."

After traveling the world for over two decades with WWE, Cena understands that many fans feel a strong connection to him, so much so that they couldn't fathom a reality where he's no longer in a wrestling ring. Still, the 17-time world champion remains committed to upholding his vow that he'd retire from competition at the end of 2025.

"There is a lot of skepticism out there because this has never been done before," he said. "... Touring the world, in this last year, the reality has been beautiful. Meeting audience members and them sharing their stories, it's been great. I wanted to give people a heads up so people could process whatever closure they want for the 13th. If you're one of those people who are like, 'You're never going to retire,' after the 13th is going to be weird because you don't have the closure you want."

Cena's final opponent will either be LA Knight or GUNTHER. To determine who will officially earn the distinction, the two will face off in the finals of "The Last Time Is Now" tournament.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Jimmy Kimmel Live" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.