{"id":80405,"date":"2026-04-20T02:28:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-20T02:28:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/john-cena-takes-on-new-role-at-wrestlemania-after-retirement\/"},"modified":"2026-04-20T02:28:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-20T02:28:23","slug":"john-cena-takes-on-new-role-at-wrestlemania-after-retirement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/john-cena-takes-on-new-role-at-wrestlemania-after-retirement\/","title":{"rendered":"John Cena Takes On New Role At WrestleMania After Retirement"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p><strong>John Cena<\/strong> made his return to the ring at WWE\u2019s WrestleMania 42 over the weekend, but his role looked a lot different.<\/p>\n<p>Donning a suit and tie \u2014 quite a different look than his normal wrestling uniform \u2014 Cena made an appearance on Saturday, April 18 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as the event\u2019s host, garnering strong cheers from the crowd as he entered the ring once again.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWow I didn\u2019t expect that. Thank you so much,\u201d said the 17-time WWE world champion, who retired from the sport in December 2025. \u201cSorry, long-time fan, long-time performer, first-time host. How am I doing so far?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He continued, \u201cWe\u2019re all in here for the same reason because we know the time to talk is up, the time to deliver is now, and we are all here with one thing on our minds: \u2018Who tonight will step up and deliver? \u2026 It is such a great honor. Ladies and gentlemen, and everyone watching around the world, welcome to WrestleMania!\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"link-related article link-related__with-thumb\">\n<figure class=\"article__figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jelly-Roll-Wrestlemania-GettyImages-2271999233.jpg?crop=0px%2C78px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=400%2C225&amp;quality=40&amp;strip=all\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 770px) calc(100vw - 6em), 200px\" alt=\"Jelly-Roll-Wrestlemania-GettyImages-2271999233\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" data-fallback-img=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jelly-Roll-Wrestlemania-GettyImages-2271999233.jpg?quality=70&amp;strip=all\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<h3 class=\"article__title\">\n<p>    <span class=\"related-badge\">Related: <\/span><span class=\"related-title\">Jelly Roll Slams Pat McAfee Through a Table at WWE WrestleMania 42<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tJelly Roll made quite the entrance at WWE WrestleMania 42. The country singer, 41, joined the main event between WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and challenger Randy Orton on Saturday, April 18, where he helped Rhodes, 40, take out announcer Pat McAfee. McAfee, 38, was first thrown onto a table by Rhodes, at which point Jelly [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The crowd loved it, and the marquee WWE event was underway.<\/p>\n<p>Cena retired from WWE at the end of 2025, losing his final match to rising star <strong>Gunther<\/strong>. Before the match, Gunther said he was \u201cproud\u201d to be Cena\u2019s last match, but added that his plan was always to \u201cspoil\u201d that final match.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt means everything to me to have the opportunity to spoil John Cena\u2019s last match,\u201d Gunther told <em>People<\/em> on December 12.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4314067\" style=\"width: 900px;\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<div class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\" style=\"padding-bottom:75.285714285714%;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-4314067\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=1000&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all\" alt=\"GettyImages-2272001596 John Cena\" width=\"1000\" height=\"754\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=100&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 100w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=200&amp;quality=55&amp;strip=all 200w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=300&amp;quality=70&amp;strip=all 300w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=400&amp;quality=55&amp;strip=all 400w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=500&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 500w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=600&amp;quality=40&amp;strip=all 600w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=700&amp;quality=55&amp;strip=all 700w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=800&amp;quality=70&amp;strip=all 800w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=900&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 900w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=1000&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1000w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=1200&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1200w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=1400&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1400w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=1600&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1600w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=1800&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1800w, https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg?w=1920&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 680px) calc(100vw - 6em), (max-width: 1000px) 80vw, 1000px\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption\"><br \/>\n John Cena hosts WrestleMania 42<\/span> <span class=\"credit\">Ethan Miller\/Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He added, \u201cIt\u2019s undeniable: [Cena is] the greatest of all time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After Cena lost that match, he stayed in the ring to take in the moment one final time. He acknowledged the crowd \u2014 which, of course, was cheering him on \u2014 bowing and saluting the fans.<\/p>\n<div class=\"link-related article link-related__with-thumb\">\n<figure class=\"article__figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/gunther-on-john-cena-last-match.png?crop=0px%2C0px%2C2000px%2C1131px&amp;resize=400%2C225&amp;quality=86&amp;strip=all\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 770px) calc(100vw - 6em), 200px\" alt=\"gunther on john cena last match\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" data-fallback-img=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/gunther-on-john-cena-last-match.png?quality=86&amp;strip=all\"\/><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<h3 class=\"article__title\">\n<p>    <span class=\"related-badge\">Related: <\/span><span class=\"related-title\">WWE\u2018s Gunther Says He\u2019s \u2018Proud\u2018 to be John Cena\u2018s Final Opponent<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tWhile John Cena received some praise from his final opponent this week, it wasn\u2019t all smiles and rainbows. Before Cena\u2019s final match \u2014 which will come on Saturday, December 13, at WWE\u2019s Saturday Night\u2019s Main Event at Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C. \u2014 his opponent, Gunther, told People that \u201cit\u2019s undeniable\u201d that Cena is [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Cena spent 23 years as a wrestler, and has become one of the most iconic and recognizable WWE wrestlers of all time. He\u2019s also built up a successful acting career, appearing in movies such as \u201cThe Suicide Squad\u201d and \u201cFast X.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"news-block\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form  \">\n\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/themes\/us-weekly\/assets\/img\/newsletter-bg-narrow.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"newsletter-form__background background-narrow\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>\n\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/themes\/us-weekly\/assets\/img\/newsletter-bg-wide.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"newsletter-form__background background-wide\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-signup__success\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<h3>Thank You!<\/h3>\n<p>You have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>After his retirement, many celebrities took to social media to congratulate Cena on his career.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMan, thank you for all these years,\u201d said singer <strong>Jelly Roll<\/strong> \u2014 who also was featured in Wrestlemania 42 \u2014 at the time. \u201cThank you for the inspiration. Thank you for being the role model that we all needed. You deserve this, brother. Congratulations, happy retirement.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCongratulations on an incredible career,\u201d said former NFL quarterback <strong>Tom Brady<\/strong>. \u201cYou\u2019ve impacted the lives of so many people inside the ring and outside the ring. Good luck in your last match. I hope you fare better in yours than I did in mine.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>John Cena made his return to the ring at WWE\u2019s WrestleMania 42 over the weekend, but his role looked a lot different. Donning a suit and tie \u2014 quite a different look than his normal wrestling uniform \u2014 Cena made an appearance on Saturday, April 18 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as the event\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":80406,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_daextam_enable_autolinks":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-trends-and-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2272001596-John-Cena.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/80406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/diyhaven858.wasmer.app\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}