John Cena Takes On New Role At WrestleMania Less Than 5 Months After Retirement

John Cena made his return to the ring at WWE's WrestleMania 42 over the weekend, but his role looked a lot different.

Donning a suit and tie - quite a different look than his normal wrestling uniform - Cena made an appearance on Saturday, April 18 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas as the event's host, garnering strong cheers from the crowd as he entered the ring once again.

"Wow I didn't expect that. Thank you so much," said the 17-time WWE world champion, who retired from the sport in December 2025. "Sorry, long-time fan, long-time performer, first-time host. How am I doing so far?"

He continued, "We're all in here for the same reason because we know the time to talk is up, the time to deliver is now, and we are all here with one thing on our minds: ‘Who tonight will step up and deliver? … It is such a great honor. Ladies and gentlemen, and everyone watching around the world, welcome to WrestleMania!"

The crowd loved it, and the marquee WWE event was underway.

Cena retired from WWE at the end of 2025, losing his final match to rising star Gunther. Before the match, Gunther said he was "proud" to be Cena's last match, but added that his plan was always to "spoil" that final match.

"It means everything to me to have the opportunity to spoil John Cena's last match," Gunther told People on December 12.

He added, "It's undeniable: [Cena is] the greatest of all time."

After Cena lost that match, he stayed in the ring to take in the moment one final time. He acknowledged the crowd - which, of course, was cheering him on - bowing and saluting the fans.

Cena spent 23 years as a wrestler, and has become one of the most iconic and recognizable WWE wrestlers of all time. He's also built up a successful acting career, appearing in movies such as "The Suicide Squad" and "Fast X."

After his retirement, many celebrities took to social media to congratulate Cena on his career.

"Man, thank you for all these years," said singer Jelly Roll - who also was featured in Wrestlemania 42 - at the time. "Thank you for the inspiration. Thank you for being the role model that we all needed. You deserve this, brother. Congratulations, happy retirement."

"Congratulations on an incredible career," said former NFL quarterback Tom Brady. "You've impacted the lives of so many people inside the ring and outside the ring. Good luck in your last match. I hope you fare better in yours than I did in mine."

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This story was originally published April 19, 2026 at 2:42 PM.