Backstage Update On WWE’s Plans For John Cena Post-Retirement

John Cena’s legendary in-ring career officially came to an end this past weekend, and WWE made sure the moment felt as big as possible.

The main event of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event saw “The Ring General” GUNTHER defeat the 17-time World Champion by submission, forcing Cena to tap out to the sleeper hold in what was billed, and treated, as his final match.

It was a decisive finish, and one that WWE clearly viewed as historic.

According to sources within NBCUniversal, the event generated unprecedented internal excitement, with word backstage that it outperformed even WrestleMania in terms of anticipation and reaction for a WWE event on Peacock.

After the cameras stopped rolling, Cena reportedly remained backstage for an extended period, taking photos and sharing private goodbyes with colleagues and longtime coworkers.

It was the end of an era.

And everyone knew it.

It was also noted that several top names, including Bayley and CM Punk, were spotted sitting in the audience to personally watch Cena’s final match unfold (see video here).

As previously reported, Cena is under a five-year agreement with WWE and will continue working with the company in an ambassadorial role.

While he is expected to make future appearances both on-screen and behind the scenes, details regarding how frequently he will appear on WWE programming have not yet been finalized.

WWE, however, has been consistent in one key message: John Cena’s in-ring career is over, and he is not expected to wrestle again.

We will keep you posted here at WrestlingHeadlines.com as updates regarding John Cena’s WWE status and future plans continue to surface.

(H/T: Fightful Select)