John Cena Bids Boston Farewell For Good

By Leo Xie ‘27

After more than two decades at the center of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), John Cena is on his retirement tour, an expected but surreal farewell run for fans who grew up watching him dominate his opponents. According to Slam’s Shawn Conners, Cena announced his retirement on July 6, 2024, during WWE’s “Money in the Bank” event in Toronto, declaring to a stadium of 20,000 fans that his final match would take place on December 13, 2025, at the Capital One Arena in Washington. For Cena, the tour has been more than just ceremonial. A victory against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas made him a seventeen-time World Champion, breaking Ric Flair’s long-standing record. Stunned by the longevity of his career, Emlyn Joseph ‘27 exclaimed, “twenty-two years and still competing at the highest level, Cena is truly a once-in-a-lifetime athlete.” Still, despite Cena’s many victories in the ring, 2025 is about closure, and his match in Boston captured that theme.On November 10, 2025, Cena walked into a sold-out TD Garden for his last match in the city closest to his hometown of West Newbury. That Monday night put all that WWE has to offer on full display: flashing lights, electrifying entrance music, and an iconic introduction from Paul “Triple H” Levesque in front of a crowd that responded with unanimous cheers. One fan in attendance, pro-wrestling blogger Patrick Ross, noted that “it may have been the first time in nearly twenty years that not a single ‘Cena sucks’ chant was uttered by anybody in TD Garden.”

The night started sentimentally. Cena, a Massachusetts native, confessed that he made a request to the WWE to “come to Boston one last time.” He then went on to reflect on his career, “My goal is to leave this business better than I found it,” Cena said. However, the moment was later disrupted, making the night a historic one. Dominik Mysterio, the son of the legendary wrestler Rey Mysterio, interrupted Cena’s monologue. The crowd erupted afterwards in chants of “Dom, you suck!” Dom proceeded to gloat about his then-position of Intercontinental Champion and that he could “whoop” John Cena “any time, any place, any era.”

What followed was sports entertainment at its finest. In an exhilarating ten-minute brawl, John Cena showed the world what makes him one of the GOAT wrestlers in a comeback victory. In the final moments of the match, Cena quickly recovered after Mysterio pinned him and hoisted him onto his shoulders. Throwing him on the ground, Cena then won with his signature move, the Attitude Adjustment, becoming the new Intercontinental Champion. Cameron Li ‘27, who witnessed the event in the stands, was amazed by the 47-year-old’s stunning performance: “He makes it seem like he knows his opponent’s next move!” he said. Other Milton students were astounded by the turn of events, with Philip Suk ‘27 saying that “you can’t make this stuff up.”

In a fitting final tribute to a wrestler who has etched his name into athletic history, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts declared November 10th as John Cena Day, ensuring that Cena’s legacy will be recognized here for decades to come.