🟠John Cena Explains Why He Rejected Triple H’s Tribute Idea Before Retirement
John Cena is officially less than two weeks away from stepping into the ring for the final time on December 13 at Saturday Night’s Main Event. However, an interesting revelation has come forward — Cena turned down a big idea from Triple H for his farewell run.
Originally, WWE planned a full tribute show honoring his career, but Cena declined. Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel Live, The GOAT explained that he didn't want the spotlight solely on his past — instead, he wanted the future to shine:
"I suggested instead of a tribute show focused on the past, let me have my final match and dedicate the rest of the show to the future."
Cena emphasized giving back to the industry that made him, choosing to highlight rising stars rather than celebrate himself.
At SNME, Cena will wrestle one final time, facing either Gunther or LA Knight, depending on who wins The Last Time Is Now tournament this Friday on SmackDown. The torch must be passed — and Cena wants it that way.
What is Cena’s Greatest Match?
Despite criticisms of not being a “technical wrestler”, John Cena has delivered numerous classics.
Zack Heydorn of Sports Illustrated ranked his best matches — and selected:
⭐ John Cena vs. AJ Styles — Royal Rumble 2017 ⭐
The match tied Cena with Ric Flair at 16 World Titles — an iconic moment & widely regarded as Cena’s finest performance.
Other classics mentioned:
-
vs CM Punk — MITB 2011
-
vs Edge — Unforgiven 2006
-
vs Cody Rhodes — SummerSlam 2025
