John Cena gives nod to Brock Lesnar following WWE retirement
On his Instagram account this morning, John Cena acknowledged the retirement of one of his biggest rivals.
Cena gave a nod to Brock Lesnar by sharing a (seemingly AI-generated) graphic of Cena, Lesnar, and AJ Styles putting their fists together. All three have entered retirement recently, with Cena being the first to end his in-ring career in December 2025. Styles then stepped away from the ring in January, and Lesnar announced his retirement this week after SummerSlam.
The final match of Lesnar’s career, assuming this retirement sticks, was a loss to Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell at SummerSlam. Lesnar hinted at retirement after the bout but did not make the announcement official until calling into The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday. Lesnar thanked everyone who has ever supported him and said his post-retirement focus will be helping his children accomplish their athletic dreams.
Given that Lesnar just teased retirement for an angle earlier this year before quickly coming back, fans will be skeptical that this retirement is legitimate. However, Lesnar did not actually use the word “retirement” that first time like he did here. If he does not return for WrestleMania 43 in Saudi Arabia in 2027, it’s doubtful that Lesnar will ever come back.
Lesnar told The Pat McAfee Show that he is retired from “everything else” in combat sports as well. At 49 years old, he wants to still be able to enjoy life and get around well.
Both Cena and Styles have remained involved with WWE after the end of their in-ring careers. Cena is an ambassador for the company, while Styles has worked in scouting, helped out with the ID program, and recently produced a match in NXT.
John Cena vs. Brock Lesnar rivalry —
Cena and Lesnar came up through OVW and arrived in WWE around the same time. They were part of the OVW class of 2002, which also included Randy Orton and Batista.
The Lesnar vs. Cena match from SummerSlam 2014 — where Lesnar essentially squashed Cena — was ranked by WWE as the most shocking moment in SummerSlam history. Their final bout against each other was at Wrestlepalooza in 2025. Cena has described that match as “easily” the toughest in his career. It was both physically and mentally tough for Cena. Fans wanted to see Cena win on his retirement tour and did not respond well to the story of Lesnar destroying him again.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.