John Cena will make his first WWE appearance since retiring from in-ring competition later this week.
John Cena wrestled his final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, DC, where he submitted to Gunther, bringing his in-ring career to a close. Prior to retiring, Cena confirmed that he would continue working with WWE in a non-wrestling capacity and later signed a five-year deal to serve as an ambassador for the company.
Following the match, WWE Champion Cody Rhodes hinted that an announcement involving Cena was forthcoming. That announcement was made today, with Rhodes confirming that Cena will be the next guest on the What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast.
The episode is scheduled to be released tomorrow and will mark Cena’s first appearance on a WWE platform since his retirement. Rhodes shared the news on social media, writing that Cena would be appearing “for the first time since retiring from the ring”.
For the FIRST TIME since retiring from the ring…@JohnCena joins us on #WhatDoYouWannaTalkAbout
TOMORROW. 👀⚡️ pic.twitter.com/KR8634q6hL
— Cody Rhodes (@CodyRhodes) December 17, 2025
Cena has previously stated that any future WWE appearances would see him in a non-wrestling role, making it clear that his retirement from the ring is permanent. While this podcast appearance brings him back into the WWE spotlight, it remains to be seen when, or if, he will appear at a WWE event in person again.
How Many Singles Matches Did John Cena And Cody Rhodes Have In WWE?
John Cena and Cody Rhodes only shared a WWE ring in singles matches on three occasions. The first of their three bouts came in 2015, when Rhodes was competing under his Stardust persona, on the April 6 episode of Raw, Cena defeated Rhodes in this bout to retain the United States Title.
Their other two bouts came this year; the first was at night two of WrestleMania 41, where Cena defeated Rhodes to win the WWE Championship. Their second bout came on night two of SummerSlam, where Rhodes defeated Cena to win back the WWE Championship in a Street Fight. Their third and final bout together garnered a five star rating from Dave Meltzer, whereas their second bout only got a one and three quarter star rating.
