John Cena Doubles Down on December 13 Is the Final Bell—“Call Me a Liar”
John Cena isn’t hedging, winking, or leaving the door cracked. On national TV, the 16x—scratch that—17x world champion made it crystal clear: his last match is December 13 in Washington, D.C., and he will never wrestle again. Period.
The Tour of a Lifetime
After shocking the world at SummerSlam 2024 by declaring 2025 his final year, Cena’s farewell run has been a box-office victory lap—world title No. 17 at WrestleMania, legacy bouts with Randy Orton, CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, and R-Truth, and even a brief heel turn that had the internet melting. The Last Time Is Now has been equal parts nostalgia and new history.
Thank you @jimmykimmel for my LAST late night show as an active @WWE performer. Excited for everyone to watch #SNME on Dec 13! @JimmyKimmelLive pic.twitter.com/QRb09cWnoe
— John Cena (@JohnCena) December 4, 2025
Cena’s Promise, In His Own Words
Speaking on late-night this week, Cena cut through the usual pro-wrestling hedging:
“I am absolutely, 100% done on the 13th of December… I will never wrestle again.”
He even invited receipts: if he ever steps back in, “you can call me a liar.” For a business built on surprise comebacks, that’s an unprecedented line in the sand.
The Final Match: LA Knight or Gunther
Cena’s farewell bout headlines Saturday Night’s Main Event on Dec. 13 in D.C., with his opponent set between LA Knight and Gunther, who meet in the Last Time Is Now tournament final on SmackDown. Winner gets Cena; loser gets the what-ifs.
A Showcase by Design
At Cena’s request, the card also features NXT vs. main roster clashes—a passing-the-torch sampler to spotlight the pipeline he’s championed for years.
🗣️ Wrestling.news | Backstage Take
If this is truly the end—and Cena’s never sounded more definitive—then the opponent choice shapes the legacy stamp. Gunther would be the iron-forge classic: a bruising, technical clinic that cements the Ring General while testing Cena’s grit one last time. LA Knight gives the moment megastar charisma and a crowd that’ll ride the wave from bell to bell. Either way, Cena’s drawing a boundary few legends dare. No “one more match,” no “Saudi special”—just a clean final chapter. In an era where retirements wobble, that might be the most John Cena thing of all.
