WWE has canceled several dates on John Cena’s retirement tour to accommodate his addition to the WrestlePalooza card on September 20. The schedule change has resulted in the removal of planned final appearances in multiple cities, leaving fans in those locations without a chance to see him one last time.
The affected dates include a September 26th appearance in Orlando, Florida, an October 6th stop in Dallas, Texas, and a November 24th event in Oklahoma City. While there is some internal belief that Dallas or Oklahoma City could potentially be rescheduled, the Orlando date is reportedly considered permanently canceled.
This major scheduling shift was made to prioritize a rumored blockbuster match between Cena and Brock Lesnar at WrestlePalooza. To make the high-profile encounter happen, WWE also shelved plans for a final match between Cena and AJ Styles. The renewal of their acclaimed rivalry, which stands at two singles wins apiece, was scrapped after Lesnar’s post-SummerSlam attack on Cena set the stage for their impending clash.
Due to the conflicting schedules of both Cena and Lesnar, the build to their match will be unconventional. With very few overlapping television dates, WWE is expected to rely on recorded promos and video packages to generate anticipation rather than in-person confrontations.
The careful, and sometimes frustrating, planning of Cena’s tour has been a recurring theme. He recently did not appear at a show in his hometown of Boston, as his definitive final appearance is already slated to take place there. The addition of the September 20 WrestlePalooza date marks a significant deviation from the original tour schedule that was promoted on official merchandise.