Brock Lesnar’s retirement didn’t go unnoticed by John Cena. After Lesnar officially announced that his SummerSlam match against Oba Femi was the last of his career, Cena quietly paid tribute to one of his greatest rivals with a post that said everything without using a single word.
Cena took to Instagram and shared a photo featuring himself, Lesnar and AJ Styles together. The image carried plenty of meaning. All three men defined an era of professional wrestling, and now all three have stepped away from the ring within the span of just a few months. While Cena didn’t include a caption, the timing made the tribute impossible to miss.
Lesnar had just confirmed on The Pat McAfee Show that his in-ring career is officially over after decades at the top of the wrestling business. Before that, Cena had already closed the book on his own legendary career, wrestling his final match against GUNTHER at the December 2025 edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event.
AJ Styles followed shortly afterwards, also ending his career against GUNTHER in a career-threatening match at the Royal Rumble. Seeing the three icons together in one image suddenly feels like the end of an entire generation.
Lesnar’s announcement officially closed the curtain on a career that began in OVW in 2000 and produced multiple WWE Championship reigns, a UFC Heavyweight Championship, countless WrestleMania main events and one of the most dominant runs the industry has ever seen. Cena’s understated Instagram tribute served as a reminder that another chapter in wrestling history has now come to an end.
What are your favorite memories of Brock Lesnar’s legendary career, and what did you think of John Cena’s tribute? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
