John Cena has provided a detailed explanation for his decision to end his in-ring career in December 2025 rather than waiting for a WrestleMania moment.
During an appearance on the No-Contest Wrestling Show, the 17-time World Champion revealed that his choice was driven by a data-centric approach to the WWE business model. Cena noted that while the “Road to WrestleMania” traditionally begins in January, December has historically been a “month in limbo” for the company, suffering from lower viewership and softer live attendance due to holiday spending and travel.
Cena explained that he intentionally pitched the December retirement to WWE executives Nick Khan and Triple H to address a recurring weakness in the annual calendar. By scheduling a retirement event in the middle of December—specifically during the “dry zone” between Survivor Series and the Royal Rumble—Cena aimed to drive fourth-quarter profitability and create a new tentpole event for the company.
“Retiring at WrestleMania is selfish. It doesn’t do anything for the business. We retire in December, our weakest month, and we take the middle of December, the dry zone that desert from the end of Survivor Series to the beginning of the Rumble, we put it like right in the middle of December… Let’s show a profit in Q4,” Cena said.
John Cena offers more details on why he chose to retire in December
Beyond the immediate financial benefits, Cena viewed his December exit as an opportunity to provide a platform for the next generation of talent. He argued that because WrestleMania is a global phenomenon that “sells itself,” using his final match to headline a December show allowed the company to take creative risks and showcase younger athletes who might not otherwise get the spotlight during the busy WrestleMania season.
Cena specifically mentioned his desire to see “exhibition matches” like Dragunov vs. The Creed Brothers during his retirement night, to get them in front of a larger, more engaged audience.
Cena’s strategic approach was informed by over two decades of experience and data gathering. He informed Nick Khan that, while the “selfish” choice would have been to secure the final match at WrestleMania, the business-minded choice was to turn a historical weakness into a strength. Cena emphasized that he had no preference for the opponent or the event’s location, leaving those creative decisions entirely to Triple H and the creative department.
