John Cena isn’t looking to make his farewell tour all about himself.
In fact, he’s trying to do the opposite.
During a stop on ESPN’s First Take to promote tonight’s final-ever WWE Raw appearance, Cena walked through what the next few weeks look like and why he refused to handpick the last opponent of his career.
Instead, he’s fully behind WWE’s “The Last Time is Now” tournament determining who gets that honor.
Cena explained that the idea lines up perfectly with how his own career began.
“Everyone is like, ‘Who does John Cena want to face?’ And the way I got my start in WWE was through random opportunity. I got my first match because The Undertaker was sick, so I love the theory of opportunity. And I believe in the meritocracy of the WWE,” Cena said. “So I don’t want to face anyone, I don’t want to handpick anyone. I want people to have to get a chance to showcase their skills and earn the right for opportunity. So we’re doing this with ‘The [Last] Time is Now’ tournament, where it’s a bunch of the top superstars and some random entrants, even some against-all-odds opponents have a chance to see if they can make it to get a chance to see if they can retire John Cena, which is a really special thing.”
Tonight’s episode from Madison Square Garden is only stop one. Cena is also scheduled for Survivor Series on November 29, followed by his true retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13.
That final night will also highlight some fresh faces. Cena told First Take that NXT talent will get a rare showcase on SNME, with main roster vs. NXT exhibition bouts added to the card because he specifically pushed for it.
“And on the actual retirement night, December 13 in [Washington] D.C., it isn’t just a show about me,” Cena said. “I’m using the time that eyeballs are on the show to give some of the NXT Superstars a showcase. I basically want this tour to be about opportunity for the future and paving the way for the future, because that’s what the class before me did for me.”
Featured below is the advertised lineup heading into the Monday, November 17, 2025 episode of the weekly two-hour primetime red brand program:
* John Cena to kick off the show
* Nikki Bella to explain Stephanie Vaquer attack
* Becky Lynch (c) vs. Maxxine Dupri (Women’s Intercontinental Title)
* Gunther vs. Je’Von Evans (The Last Time Is Now Tournament)
* Solo Sikoa vs. TBA (The Last Time Is Now Tournament)
Make sure to join us here tonight at WrestlingHeadlines.com at 8/7c for live WWE Raw results coverage from New York City, NY.
(H/T to F4WOnline.com for transcribing the above quotes.)
