As John Cena’s “The Last Time Is Now” retirement tour progresses, with a new appearance just added for August 1 in San Antonio, the central question surrounding his final year is not if he will compete, but how he will be remembered. Despite his current heel persona, a consensus among industry experts, coupled with WWE’s on-screen storytelling, indicates that a final run as a babyface is not just likely, but inevitable before his career concludes in December 2025.
The belief that Cena will not retire as a villain is widespread among his peers. WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle has been direct in his assessment of the situation.
“I know for sure that John will eventually turn baby,” Angle stated. “He’s not gonna retire as a heel.”
This view is shared by former WWE referee Jimmy Korderas, who anticipates a turn in Cena’s final months. The Miz offered a unique perspective, suggesting the audience’s reaction will dictate the change.
“I feel like the audience is going to like John Cena as a heel so much that they’re going to turn him back to babyface,” The Miz predicted. “Because that’s what they do, that’s what the audience does.”
WWE programming has already begun to lay the groundwork for this character shift, presenting a conflicted villain. At Night of Champions 2025, Cena hesitated to use his championship title as a weapon against CM Punk, a clear sign of reluctance to fully embrace underhanded tactics. This was followed by an emotional moment during his match with Randy Orton at Backlash 2025, where he visibly reacted to the crowd’s “Thank you, Cena” chants, betraying his heel character. A Yahoo Sports report noted that WWE appears to recognize his heel run has “begun to run its course.”
A potential timeline for this turn is beginning to solidify, with SummerSlam on August 2-3 emerging as a pivotal date. Analysis from Bleacher Report suggests Cena’s current feud with CM Punk will initiate a slow turn, which would culminate at the summer event. A loss to Cody Rhodes in a proposed rematch for the Undisputed WWE Championship would serve as the final step, giving Rhodes his redemption from WrestleMania 41 and allowing Cena to transition into his final heroic chapter.
This path mirrors Cena’s original rise to stardom, where a successful heel run served as the foundation for his breakout babyface turn in 2003. Wrestling analysts have noted the parallel, suggesting this second heel run is similarly not the final destination but a necessary part of his career’s closing narrative. Cena himself has fueled speculation, posting a cryptic message on social media in June 2025 that read, “No plan survives contact with the events of life. Adapt. Overcome.”
With his farewell tour, which includes stops in Canada, Ireland, France, and Australia, designed to honor the fans, retiring as a villain seems inconsistent with his legacy. Given his extensive work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation and his role as the face of the company for over a decade, all signs point toward John Cena finishing his historic career as he started it on top: a hero.