Adam Copeland Drops Throwback Tribute to John Cena Ahead of Final WWE Match

John Cena’s retirement match is happening tonight at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and now one of his greatest rivals—Adam Copeland—has joined the growing list of stars paying tribute.

Copeland took to Instagram and shared a couple of photos that celebrated his long history with Cena in a way only he could: with humor, nostalgia, and a little personality.

The post featured two slides—one showing their animated cameos from South Park, and another of puppet versions of themselves, a nod to their time as larger-than-life characters in pop culture. Copeland didn’t add a lengthy caption, just two emojis that say a lot without saying much: “👞🥃”

Fans were quick to interpret it as a simple, classy sendoff—possibly meaning “tip of the hat and a toast” to Cena as he wraps up his legendary WWE run.

This comes just hours before Cena steps into the ring one final time against GUNTHER in a sold-out arena at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. It’s a career-ending match for a Superstar who’s held 17 world titles and carried WWE on his back.

While The Undertaker went with a powerful tribute earlier in the day, Copeland kept it visual and pretty subtle—letting the shared history and memories speak for themselves.

From WrestleMania matches to tag team moments, Cena and Copeland have been part of some of WWE’s biggest storylines over the last two decades. Now, Copeland’s post is a reminder of just how much Cena has meant to the locker room—and to the business.

What did you think of Adam Copeland’s unique tribute to John Cena? Do you have a favorite John Cena vs. Adam Copeland moment? Drop your thoughts in the comments and tell us how you’ll remember their rivalry.