Sports

Facing one last fight, John Cena became a WWE legend for more than ability

December 13, 2025

Story by[WWE via ]Manish PandeySat, December 13, 2025 at 5:37 AM UTC·7 min readThe Last Time Is Now. It's the name given to the tournament in which 16 wrestling giants have been competing to be the one opponent in John Cena's final fight before retirement. And that final fight is now - Saturday night - in Washington DC, bringing the curtain down on an illustrious career that has seen the American become one of wrestling's biggest and most bankable stars. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIn the 8,570 days since his debut, Cena has clinched 17 world titles and coined the iconic "You Can't See Me" catchphrase - but the 48-year-old's impact goes far beyond that. If you were to pose the question "who is John Cena?", depending on who you ask, the answers might vary from legendary WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) superstar, to successful film actor, while some will say he's Mr Make-A-Wish (more on that later). John Cena celebrates his win during WrestleMania 41 Sunday in Las Vegas in April 2025 [Rich Freeda/WWE via ]How to watch John Cena's last match:Start time: WWE Saturday Night's Main Event is scheduled to begin at 01:00 GMT on Sun 14 DecWhere to watch: In the UK, you can watch for free on WWE's official YouTube channel. Internationally it can be watched on Netflix, and on Peacock in the US'An exceptional wrestling talent'Since his 2002 debut, there's been an evolution in his own wrestling character - transitioning from "ruthless aggression" rookie, to a "Doctor of Thuganomics" rapper, and eventually a heroic character known for a "Never Give Up" attitude. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDespite criticism from some fans of his in-ring ability, with occasional chants of "you can't wrestle" through the years, "there's no doubt that he's an exceptional wrestling talent", says Brandon Thurston, editor and owner of wrestling website, Wrestlenomics. He feels something changed in 2005, after which WWE became "increasingly scripted in a way it had not been" before, as it entered into a more controlled, family friendly PG era.

Facing one last fight, John Cena became a WWE legend for more than ability

Credit: Yahoo

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But Cena managed thrive."He's definitely been the biggest draw over the time which I would say stretches from 2005 to roughly 2015," Mr Thurston says, with Cena's merchandise also regularly topping sales for the company."There's little question that he was WWE's most important economic wrestler throughout that time - in terms of pay-per-view buys, which were still central in that era, TV ratings, and as a house show draw."AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOutside the ring too, he's a personality who "people gravitate towards and want to listen to", says Mr Thurston - and wrestling fans like Joe Clarkson and Sabrina Nicole feel just that. Cena made his debut against Kurt Angle at SmackDown in June 2002 [WWE via ]"To go for such a long time in an industry, which is quite heavily taxing on the body, is absolutely fascinating," says Joe, 24, who was five when he first saw Cena on TV."I think over time, the people just gained more and more respect for him, not just as a performer, but also as an individual."For Sabrina, 37, who remembers Cena's WWE debut in 2002, it's "his charisma". AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"He has just always had something about him that makes him a star," she says, adding that for most of his career, he's "always maintained a good guy persona"."No matter what the crowd, no matter what the fans have thought of him.
He has just been the testament to if you have a really good character, you can be on top," she says. It also seems to be true that, beyond his ability and persona, Cena seized an opportunity. Cena's signature "You Can't See Me" gesture []With The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin no longer full-time performers, WWE bosses were looking for a new star to emerge. Brandon feels WWE leadership recognised Cena "would be a very reliable and extremely hardworking person whom they could entrust with such a spot". AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt's widely accepted within.

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Facing one last fight, John Cena became a WWE legend for more than ability

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Facing one last fight, John Cena became a WWE legend for more than ability

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