John Cena shocked wrestling fans worldwide in July when he announced his retirement from WWE at the Money in the Bank event in Toronto, Ontario in Canada.

Cena made his official WWE debut in 2002's SmackDown and has wrestled at least one match every single year since then, so it will be the end of an era when he hangs up his signature outfit—including his trademark jean shorts, known as jorts—in 2025.

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In Toronto, he told the crowd: "Tonight, I announce my retirement from the WWE. I hear a mixed opinion out there. A lot of questions maybe, right? Like, why here? I want to talk about that for a second. I want to talk about Toronto. Matter of fact, I want to talk about Canada. Matter of fact, I want to talk about Canadians."

"I’ve been doing this a while. I’ve been in WWE for over two decades and in that time I’ve seen incredible waves of prosperity like we got right now. WWE is the hottest ticket in town, no doubt." he added.

Cena has since gone on to say he will embark on a final WWE tour from January to December 2025, which will feature his last-ever appearances at Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber, and WrestleMania.

John Cena celebrated his win during Wrestlemania XXX in New Orleans. (Image: Jonathan Bachman/AP Images for WWE)

Just days ago, Cena doubled down on his retirement, admitting there wasn't "enough money" in the world for him to reconsider his decision. He told ComicBook: "There isn't a check writer with enough money to change my mind when I hang it up in December.

"I don't want to continue for ego or financial gain. I built a relationship of trust and authenticity over the years with the WWE, and that's people who think I suck and people who believe in me; they know that I shoot them straight and I'm trustworthy."

"I mean what I say: when I'm done in December, I am done. It is the last time I will perform in a ring."

Cena has now confirmed there will be "around 36 dates" on his retirement tour, telling Collider: "It's gonna be right around 36 dates around the world to pay thanks and gratitude to the WWE audiences around the world. So, that's what I'm doing in 2025."

But who is he going to face in the ring?

Cena's Orton Retirement Match?

There are likely to be plenty of first-time matchups during Cena's farewell tour, and while he doesn't have as much left in the tank as he once did, he is still a force to be reckoned with in the ring. The outgoing WWE star has the chance to make it a historic 17 world titles in 2025, which would see him surpass Ric Flair's record of 16 world championships.

Some fans believe a fairy-tale farewell tour for Cena could see him clinch his 17th world title by defeating Randy Orton.

Cena taking on Orton, which is 1/2 to happen, would make sense as the perfect retirement match for the wrestling legend after both stars have clashed numerous times before. Cena is not shy when it comes to sharing love he has for greatest WWE rival.

In August, Orton added fuel to the fire by confirming he would be up for facing Cena on his retirement tour, and he called for fans to help make it happen—if that's what they want. 

Orton told MailOnline: "If the fans want John Cena and Randy Orton to face each other at some point, maybe even at WrestleMania, then this is their last chance. So if you want it, let’s hear it. They can go to social media, they can talk about how much they want it, and they can chant at the shows. And I think that if the fans want it, then it’s definitely going to happen."

"But as far as what do I personally want? I would love to wrestle John. But as far as pushing for that match, that’s never been my style; that’s never been seen as my style. And I think if it’s meant to be, if it’s in the stars, then we’ll definitely do it, and we’ll have a lot of fun doing so well."

Cena has recently turned to acting, following in the footsteps of the likes of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson and Dave Bautista, who both swapped the wrestling ring for Hollywood. However, The Rock has recently dabbled in the ring once again, and it's just 8/15 that he faces Cena on his retirement tour.

Fans have speculated that Cena could be part of the Bloodline storyline and challenge The Rock at WrestleMania. 

You Can't See Me... Punk

Another bout that looks destined to happen would be Cena going up against one of his greatest-ever rivals, CM Punk (4/6). The match would see two GOATs going up against each other and is once again one that fans are crying out for, with many putting the fixture at the top of their Cena retirement tour wish lists.

What's more, Cody Rhodes is just 1/1 to face Cena in 2025, and the undisputed WWE Universal Champion has already admitted he is up for the clash.

Speaking recently at Fanatics Fest NYC, Rhodes said, "It would be an honor of my life to wrestle John Cena in any capacity. He’s the GOAT for a reason."

Drew McIntyre is another wrestler who hasn't held back his opinion about whether he wants to face Cena, with the star determined to make the match happen, even if he has to drive his management team and Cena himself "crazy" to make it work. 

During an appearance on The Ringer Wrestling Show, he said, "I don’t know if I’m figured in the plans, but I guarantee I’ll be pushing and I’ll be nudging them left and right to make it happen because the amount of stories I’ve got about Punk and things that happened when I was younger, I’ve got 10 fold on him. There’s never been one-on-one matches."

Social Media Stars To Face Off

McIntyre is 11/8 to face Cena next year, while it's 2/1 he goes up against YouTuber-turned-wrestler Logan Paul. This could be one of the top first-time matchups on Cena's retirement tour, and it has been suggested the two social media stars could take on one another on a WrestleMania undercard.

John Cena presented the Oscar for Costume Design in nude, in 2024. (Image: Sipa US/Alamy Live News)

Another opponent who would make sense for Cena to face during his retirement tour is Bron Breakker (5/2). Breakker is fast becoming the new face of the company, so it would be fitting if he faced Cena at WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, or even Elimination Chamber. 

As well as first-time fixtures, Cena is likely to renew plenty of old rivalries next year, and fans would love to see him take on Seth Rollins (3/1) once again. What's more, Cena is 5/1 to wrestle R Truth after the pair clashed previously. It would make sense for Cena and R Truth to face off at Raw, where he could also take on the likes of Chad Gable (11/2) or Ilja Dragunov (8/1).

From Nude Presenting To Oscar-Worthy 

While Cena is sure about his wrestling retirement, the star has admitted he will still be a WWE ambassador after he hangs up his boots.

He told ComicBook: "I'll be a member of the WWE family as an ambassador and a grateful one, but you will see me wear this (points to suit), not the wristbands, the jorts, or the ball cap."

But the Jackpot! and Barbie actor is likely to take on further movie roles following his retirement. Much like The Rock and Bautista, he has made an easy transition into Hollywood—but will he ever win an Oscar?

Neither The Rock, Bautista, nor Cena have been nominated for an Academy Award yet, but Cena is clearly comfortable at the Academy after he appeared at the Oscars in the nude this year.

The star had just an envelope to cover his modesty as he took to the stage at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre in March to hand out the Best Costume Design accolade, which went to Poor Things. It would be some story if Cena went from a nude appearance at the Oscars to one day taking to the stage to collect an Academy Award for one of his motion pictures.

For now, the star is 1/3 to miss out on an Oscar in his career, but as he continues to take on more serious roles, that 3/1 for him to win an Academy Award could soon be clipped in. He's used to winning plenty of titles in his WWE career, so why not the best prize in Hollywood, too?

One thing is for sure: Cena is in for a busy 2025 until he steps out of the ring for good.