John Cena thought Bray Wyatt had already sent him into retirement years before his actual farewell tour began. The WWE legend believed the Firefly Fun House match at WrestleMania 36 could be the final match of his career—and he was prepared to leave it there.
Cena faced Wyatt at WrestleMania 36 in April 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic killed WWE’s original plans for a traditional match. With fans unable to attend, WWE turned the encounter into a cinematic trip through Cena’s career, failures and biggest insecurities. Speaking to Alistair McGeorge of Metro, Cena admitted he didn’t view the match as just another creative experiment. He saw it as a possible ending.
“Honestly, no kidding. I thought the Firefly Fun House was going to be the last match of my career.”
The bizarre match forced Cena to confront different versions of himself, including the ruthless character he played before becoming WWE’s clean-cut franchise star. Wyatt then made Cena disappear after trapping him in the Mandible Claw. Cena believed that strange ending worked because the match was built around him facing his past and finally letting it go.
“I really did think that the Firefly Fun House match was going to be the tail end, and that was kind of a meta journey for me through facing all of my demons, and then letting go.”
Cena vanished from WWE television after the match and remained away for 16 months. The pandemic changed the company’s entire schedule, while Cena’s Hollywood career and projects such as Fast 9 kept demanding more of his time. His work on Barbie later added another major movie to his expanding résumé.
The Firefly Fun House didn’t end Cena’s career after all. He returned at Money in the Bank 2021 and continued making limited appearances before announcing that 2025 would be his final year as an active wrestler.
That retirement tour became anything but a quiet victory lap. Cena entered the 2025 Royal Rumble and then won the Men’s Elimination Chamber match to earn an Undisputed WWE Championship opportunity against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41. He then stunned fans by attacking Rhodes and turning heel alongside The Rock and Travis Scott. Cena went on to headline the second night of WrestleMania 41 against Rhodes. With help from Scott, Cena defeated Rhodes and captured his record-setting 17th world championship.
The tour also allowed Cena to revisit major pieces of his past. He stepped back into the ring with longtime rivals, including Randy Orton and AJ Styles, while his final months also featured CM Punk, Brock Lesnar and Dominik Mysterio.
WWE eventually launched the Last Time Is Now Tournament to determine Cena’s final opponent. Gunther fought through the bracket and defeated LA Knight in the final, earning the right to face Cena on December 13, 2025. Cena made it clear that this wasn’t going to be another wrestling retirement followed by a comeback several years later.
“I am absolutely 100 percent done. The 13th of December on Peacock is my last in-ring performance.”
Cena’s actual final match took place against Gunther in the main event of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Gunther didn’t give Cena the happy ending many fans expected. He repeatedly trapped Cena in a sleeper hold until the man who spent his career preaching “Never Give Up” finally tapped out.
After the match, Cena kissed the mat and left his shoes, wristbands and armbands in the ring. Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes and other WWE names came out to honor him before he walked backstage for the final time.
Cena thought his career might end with Bray Wyatt making him disappear inside the Firefly Fun House. Instead, he received five more years, a heel turn, a record-breaking 17th world championship and an entire retirement tour before Gunther finally closed the door.
Do you think the Firefly Fun House would have been a better ending for John Cena, or did his 2025 retirement tour give him the farewell his career deserved? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
