John Cena famously competed in his last match at the end of 2025, but the 17-time World Champion could have called it a day years earlier.
Among his many pro wrestling accolades, Cena had an impressive streak where he competed in at least one match a year every year from his 2002 debut right up until his 2025 retirement. However, in 2020 things were a little bit different.
In 2020, Cena looked set to rekindle his rivalry with Bray Wyatt, who at that point was portraying his Fiend alter ego. However, while the WrestleMania 36 match was confirmed in a packed arena, just a few days later, the world changed.
With the pandemic meaning that no fans could be in attendance for Mania 36, WWE held the show behind closed doors. Looking to pivot with the Cena match, Cena and Wyatt faced off in the Firefly Funhouse match. The cinematic affair saw Wyatt psychologically pick apart Cena’s career, which pointed out many of the Hollywood star’s wrestling flaws. The closing moments of the match saw The Fiend pin Cena, which saw the WWE legend vanish shortly afterwards. With no follow-up until Cena’s return at SummerSlam 2021, he had been written off TV until further notice.
Speaking with Alistair McGeorge of Metro UK, Cena noted that he thought the Firefly Funhouse match would have been his last time in the ring, especially due to how the match played out:
‘Honestly, no kidding,’ he said. ‘I thought the Firefly Fun House was going to be the last match of my career. I really did think that the Firefly Fun House match was going to be the tail end, and that was kind of a meta journey for me through facing all of my demons, and then letting go.’
What Happened When John Cena Competed In His Last Match?
Cena embarked on a lengthy retirement tour in 2025. The Hollywood star’s final year saw him win the record-breaking 17th World Championship and Intercontinental Championship, meaning he had achieved the grand slam, before competing one final time.
Cena’s final opponent was Gunther, who won a tournament to earn the honour. Facing Cena at Saturday Night’s Main event in December, Gunther forced the 17-time champion to tap out. Cena has not gotten physical since retirement, but has made occasional appearances at WWE PLEs.
Featured image: WWE
