John Cena Addresses Adam Copeland’s Absence From WWE Retirement Tour

John Cena has finally addressed the one retirement tour matchup that never happened — Adam Copeland.

After Tony Khan previously confirmed that WWE never reached out about bringing Copeland in during Cena’s final run, many were left wondering if the two longtime rivals even discussed the possibility behind the scenes. Now, Cena has talked about it directly.

Speaking to the Takedown on February 27, 2026, Cena was asked whether he had spoken to Copeland during his retirement tour — and whether there was ever a real chance they could share the ring again. Cena made it clear they stayed in contact the entire time.

“I talk to Adam all the time. I have great respect for him. We refer to each other as ‘old shoe’ because Adam’s got a very special place in my heart.”

While he didn’t frame it as regret, Cena acknowledged the reality of his limited schedule — and why a final match simply didn’t happen.

“Now here we both are, celebrating a long living space in a wonderful business. So I talk to him often. I think both of us understood about something like (the retirement tour) it is the sports entertainment business. But then again, I only had 36 dates. I can’t work with everybody.”

That line says everything. With only 36 appearances on his farewell run, Cena had to make choices — and not everyone could be part of the final chapter. He admitted there were countless names he wished he could have faced again.

“Gosh, I had tons of fun with Khali, all of my opponents, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Batista. You name it, we could have just run the gambit of folks. I would run out of time trying to tell you the people I wanted to face.”

Instead of a match, Cena chose tribute. During his final SmackDown match in Chicago last September, he hit a spear in homage to Copeland. Copeland later returned the favor in AEW by performing the Five Knuckle Shuffle at All Out in Toronto.

For fans hoping for one last Cena vs. Copeland war, it never materialized. But according to Cena, the respect is still there — and so is the connection.

“We are a pair of old shoes. The first time we stepped in the ring, it just felt comfortable. And that’s really rare.”

Ultimately, there was no farewell match. No final chapter written inside a WWE ring. Just mutual respect, quiet tributes, and two careers that will always be linked whether they wrestle again or not.

Do you think WWE missed a golden opportunity by not booking one last John Cena vs. Adam Copeland match — or was it better left as a memory? Drop your thoughts below and let us know how you would’ve handled it.