John Cena is scheduled to appear on SmackDown tomorrow night, and according to some within WWE, it may be his final appearance for the blue brand. A WrestleVotes report notes that with only seven dates remaining on his current schedule—two of which are unannounced—it is unlikely any will be allocated for a SmackDown event. This sets the stage for a potentially historic night in Chicago’s Allstate Arena, the same venue where his SmackDown journey began.
The report included a direct statement on the situation: “We’re told some within WWE are quietly expecting tomorrow night to be John Cena’s final SmackDown. According to a source, with only seven remaining dates left—and just two yet to be announced—it’s unlikely another will be a SmackDown event, meaning Cena will have debuted and ended his run on the blue brand in the very same building, Chicago’s Allstate Arena.”
Cena heads into this possible farewell on the heels of a significant victory over Logan Paul at the Clash in Paris premium live event.
That win against Logan Paul was a critical moment in Cena’s ongoing retirement tour, which is scheduled to conclude in December 2025. The match concluded a rivalry built with a classic hero versus villain dynamic.
The feud ignited when Paul answered Cena’s open challenge on an episode of SmackDown. Tensions escalated during a subsequent tag team match where Paul was disqualified for delivering a low blow to Cena, cementing their roles as the celebrated babyface and the antagonistic heel heading into their first-ever singles match in France.
Their bout at Clash in Paris on August 31 was a back-and-forth contest, with Cena reportedly utilizing moves like a Tornado DDT and the Styles Clash. Cena endured two of Paul’s signature “Paul From Grace” maneuvers before securing the pinfall victory with the Attitude Adjustment, marking his 99th win at a WWE premium live event.
In a social media vlog posted on September 3, Logan Paul reflected on the match, calling Cena a “master of the craft.” Paul acknowledged that the loss left him “more motivated than ever” and reaffirmed his ambition to become the “greatest entertainer in the world.”