John Cena announced via an Instagram post that he has only seven dates remaining in his wrestling career. The post featured a tribute to soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, showing an image of the athlete wearing his number seven jersey to symbolize the countdown on Cena’s more than twenty-year run.
The next stop on this retirement tour is a high-profile match against Brock Lesnar at the upcoming Wrestlepalooza Premium Live Event on September 20. WWE has confirmed this will be their final singles encounter, adding the stipulation “One last time” to the match.
The stage for this final chapter was set on the September 5th episode of SmackDown. During what was billed as his last appearance on the brand, Cena accepted an open challenge from United States Champion Sami Zayn.
This attack continues a rivalry that was reignited at SummerSlam 2025, where Lesnar returned after nearly two years and ambushed Cena following his Undisputed Championship match with Cody Rhodes.
Their history dates back over a decade, with Lesnar leading their head-to-head singles record 4-2. Their last one-on-one match was at Night of Champions in 2014.
The confrontation will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana, under the revived Wrestlepalooza banner, an event name last used by ECW in 2000.