John Cena Reveals He Wanted a 200-Date WWE Farewell Tour — Why It Was Reduced to Just 36
John Cena’s emotional WWE retirement tour is set to conclude this Saturday, December 13, at Saturday Night’s Main Event, where The Franchise Player will wrestle his final match against Gunther, winner of the Last Time is Now Tournament.
However, Cena recently shared a surprising detail — his initial plan for the farewell tour was massively different.
🗣 Cena Wanted a 200-Date Goodbye Tour
In a discussion with Tom Rinaldi, Cena revealed that he originally hoped to wrestle 200 dates — allowing him to return to every city and arena he performed in during his two-decade career. His intention was simple: say thank you to fans everywhere.
"I wanted to do 200 dates just to say goodbye to everybody. I wanted to try to go everywhere I've been to just say thank you. WWE came back and said, 'We can only do 36.'"
With the limitation to 36 appearances in 2025, Cena requested flexibility to continue working on outside projects while completing his farewell run — and WWE agreed.
💼 WWE Rejected Cena’s Business Pitch
Cena also revealed that he presented WWE with an extensive business proposal for his retirement schedule — complete with projections and pitch decks. Despite the effort, WWE chose a different vision for his final run.
"I came to them with pitch decks, specs, projected revenue… WWE said 'That’s not our business, this is. Would you like to do this?’ and I said yes."
Despite adjustments, Cena’s farewell year delivered unforgettable milestones:
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🩸 First heel run in 20 years
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🏆 Broke the record for most world title reigns
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🏅 Completed the Grand Slam by winning Intercontinental Championship
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🔥 One final headline run before retirement
Cena will wrestle his final match this weekend, closing a historic chapter while leaving behind a legacy unmatched in WWE history.
