John Cena’s professional wrestling career comes to an end at “WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event.” Cena was once long viewed as the face of WWE, and his run at the top lasted longer than iconic names such as Hulk Hogan and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Along the way, Cena created a slew of moments that changed the landscape of WWE.
Cena wasn’t WWE’s first choice to take over the mantle when the likes of Austin and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson were no longer available, but it eventually became clear that he’d be the company’s top star for years to come. From the “Doctor of Thuganomics” to “Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect,” Cena’s Hall of Fame-worthy career is etched in wrestling history.
When reflecting on Cena’s unprecedented run, there are five key moments that helped shape the future of WWE. All of those instances have led to a sold-out Capital One Arena in Washington for Cena’s final match.
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Ruthless Aggression
During the June 17, 2002 episode of “WWE SmackDown,” Kurt Angle issued an open challenge to any up-and-coming superstar who he hadn’t faced in the ring. Cena, known as The Prototype in OVW, made his way out to confront the Olympic gold medalist. When Angle asked Cena what quality he had that made him think he was worthy of such a match, the rookie main roster talent said, “Ruthless Aggression,” before delivering a slap.
Cena had a competitive match with Angle in his WWE TV debut. In fact, Angle barely managed to score a cradle pin on Cena for the victory. After the match, Angle refused to shake his opponent’s hand. Cena reminded Angle that he almost had the win.
Word Life
Following his debut match with Angle and a feud with Chris Jericho, Cena began to cool down on WWE TV. In fact, he was facing a potential release before Stephanie McMahon heard him rapping on a tour bus back in 2003. Soon after, Cena began his heel gimmick as a disrespectful rapper.
Cena’s push as a heel took off when he began feuding with Brock Lesnar. That’s when fans first knew of “The Doctor of Thuganomics” along with the iconic “Word Life” theme song. Eventually, fans forced WWE to turn Cena’s character into a babyface.
WrestleMania 21
On April 3, 2005, a 27-year-old Cena challenged JBL for the WWE Championship at “WrestleMania 21.” There was a ton of momentum behind Cena at this stage, and fans were counting on him to capture his first world championship. They weren’t disappointed, as Cena hit an Attitude Adjustment, which was known as the FU at the time, and pinned JBL to win the title.
It didn’t take long for Cena to introduce a blinged-out version of the WWE Championship. WWE ended up keeping that version of the title for several years with some tweaks, such as removing the spinner.
Drafted to WWE Raw
During the June 6, 2005 episode of “Monday Night Raw,” Chris Jericho introduced the first pick for the red brand in the WWE draft. In perhaps the most memorable moment in WWE draft history, Cena was moved to “Raw.” It was a shocking turn of events, as Cena still held the WWE Championship on “SmackDown.”
This was widely considered to be the start of Cena’s longtime run as WWE’s top name, as he’d become the main focus of the “Raw” brand for roughly a decade. “SmackDown” responded to losing Cena by drafting Batista, who was the WWE World Heavyweight Champion at the time.
Announcing Retirement Tour
During “Money in the Bank 2024,” Cena made a surprise appearance to drop some bombshell news. He announced his retirement tour. Cena said his final “WrestleMania” match would take place in Las Vegas, and that ended up being a win over Cody Rhodes to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship.
Cena lost the title back to “The American Nightmare” at “SummerSlam 2025.” Since then, he’s renewed rivalries with the likes of Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles. Cena even won the WWE Intercontinental Championship from Dominik Mysterio to become a “Grand Slam” champion before the end of his career.
At “Saturday Night’s Main Event,” Cena will step into the ring one last time against Gunther. It figures to be an emotional night to close the book on one of the greatest runs a top performer in the wrestling industry could have.
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