The end of an era in WWE now has a definitive date. John Cena has confirmed his final match will take place at the Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII special on December 13, 2025, in Washington, D.C., concluding a career that has defined a generation of sports entertainment. Cena acknowledged the finality of the date with a simple post: “One Last Dance. Final Final 12/13/25.”
This final run, which WWE is heavily promoting, consists of five dates, beginning with a marquee match against AJ Styles at Crown Jewel: Perth. The booking, confirmed by Triple H, came as a surprise to Styles, who commented on the opportunity in an interview with ABEMA. “I am certainly happy for the opportunity to wrestle John Cena on his retirement tour,” Styles said. “I did not think this was going to happen, it honestly just came out of nowhere, but I accept it, I want it, and me and John are going to have one last match and it’s going to be incredible.”
Following the event in Australia, Cena is scheduled for appearances on the November 10 and November 17 editions of Monday Night RAW before competing at Survivor Series: WarGames on November 29. This final schedule provides a clear direction after a period of on-screen uncertainty for Cena, whose “Never-Seen 17” title reign ended in August. His last major angle culminated in a loss to a returning Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza.
The match at Crown Jewel carries additional weight as Styles has also recently reaffirmed his own plans to retire. He has stated that his career is approaching its end and that WWE’s upcoming tour of Japan will likely be his final time performing in the country. This follows previous statements made earlier in September and during SummerSlam weekend, where Styles indicated he plans to step away from the ring within the next year.