By John Christopher Aquino
WASHINGTON – On July 4 last year, renowned World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) star- turned-actor John Cena announced that he will end his illustrious career in the ring and hang up his boots, but not before ending it with a bang.
The 47-year-old superstar initially made the announcement that his time in the ring will finally end in 2025 during last year’s “Money In The Bank” event.
Dubbed “The Last Time is Now”, the retirement tour will see the 16-time world champion wrestle in 30 to 40 matches this year.
The farewell campaign officially kicked off on “Monday Night Raw’s” Netflix debut, as Cena seeks to end his famed career with gold on his waist.
Trouble at the Rumble
During that same episode, Cena announced that he will be joining the men’s “Royal Rumble”, where 30 competitors will duke it out for a chance to face either the WWE Champion or the World Heavyweight Champion at “WrestleMania 41” in Las Vegas.
To win the match, “Big Match John” must be the last man standing as each wrestler’s goal is to toss their opponent out of the ring.
This marked the first match of the retirement run, where many fans were eager to see the former “Doctor of Thuganomics” win another Rumble before ending his career.
Tensions were high as Cena outlasted 28 other elite-level talents, but was eventually tossed out of the ring by “Main Event” Jey Uso, who won the match.
Uso’s win was seen as an upset, with thousands of fans flocking to social media stating that it was not the right call and that Cena should have won.
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Redemption at the Chamber
After the event, Cena told a press conference that his chase for glory at “WrestleMania” is not over, as he inserted himself to compete in the upcoming men’s “Elimination Chamber” match, which will commence on March 1 in Toronto, Canada.
“What is best for business is main event WrestleMania. And what is best for business is, for the first time I confidently say, I’m gonna win a 17th championship,” Cena stated.
The winner of the “Elimination Chamber” match will also have an opportunity at a championship match at “WrestleMania”.
The road to gold may be bumpy, as Cena’s announcement caught the ire of one of his long-time rivals, CM Punk.
“I’m looking at the Chamber now like, ‘Oh, Cena’s got a buy? Cena just gets to be in it?’ Okay, Mr I’m filming Matchbox in Budapest. I’m gonna just disappear, and then I just get a gift?,” Punk stated during a podcast, referring to the movie that Cena is currently filming in Hungary.
“So, I want to qualify for the Chamber so I can slap the sh*t out of John Cena. That might be my last opportunity to do so.”
If Cena is victorious and manages to win a world championship belt at the “The Grandest Stage of Them All”, he will be the WWE’s most decorated wrestler with 17 world titles – he is currently tied with Ric Flair’s record of 16 championship stints.
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