Cena's Retirement Sets WWE Records
WrestleMania 41, headlined by John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship, was officially the most lucrative event in wrestling history. Cena's 2025 retirement tour set new records for business and attendance, underlining his impact on the sport.
- The victory at WrestleMania 41 marked John Cena's 17th world championship win, surpassing Ric Flair's iconic record to become the most successful world champion in WWE history. - Cena's final match before WrestleMania was against Gunther at the Saturday Night's Main Event on December 13, 2025; this single event became the highest-grossing arena show in WWE history, generating $6.55 million from ticket sales. - The retirement tour, which grossed over $80 million across 20 tracked dates in 2025, was intentionally scheduled to boost business during WWE's historically weakest viewership month of December. - Cena's opponent, Cody Rhodes, is the son of Hall of Famer Dusty Rhodes and entered the match as a two-time Royal Rumble winner (2023 and 2024), having captured the Undisputed WWE Championship at the previous year's WrestleMania XL. - The initial plan for Cena's farewell was much larger; he originally proposed a full-time, 220-date tour for 2025 but had to scale it back to 36 appearances due to his Hollywood filming schedule. - Following his in-ring retirement, Cena will continue to work with the company as an official WWE ambassador under a five-year contract, while also expanding his acting career.
