WWE paid tribute to John Cena on SmackDown 24 hours before he retires from wrestling.
Tomorrow, December 13, John Cena wraps up his Hall of Fame-worthy wrestling career when he retires against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event. The show is expected to be a star-studded spectacle. With over 20 years of being an in-ring competitor, his star power transcends just the ring.
WWE brought together legends far and wide, some who have appeared in a WWE ring and others who have not.
“Congratulations on an incredible career. You’ve impacted the lives of so many people inside the ring and outside the ring,” former NFL quarterback Tom Brady said. “Good luck in your last match I hope you fare better in yours than I did in mine.”
“You’ve inspired a bunch of people, you won a ton of championships — almost impressive enough for me to forget you’re a diehard Patriots fan,” Eli Manning joked. “But hey, I guess no one’s perfect. Including the ’07 Patriots.”
WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg shared the love, as well. “John Cena, it’s your boy big Snoop Dogg, you know what it is. Congratulations, my one. I’mma smoke one. Matter of fact, I’mma blow one for the pole one.”
Additionally, Peyton Manning, Jelly Roll (who wrestled at SummerSlam earlier this year), and Jimmy Fallon paid their respects to the legend as well. Check out all of the tributes in the video below.
Thank you, @JohnCena!
pic.twitter.com/xmdbLAH4LN
— WWE (@WWE) December 13, 2025
John Cena Will Close Saturday Night’s Main Event
There’s been speculation all week whether Cena will open or close SNME this weekend, and he’s finally put it to rest. “I don’t even know how that started [the rumor that he would be opening the show]. It’s difficult to conceptualize that,” Cena told The Pat McAfee Show. “I don’t make the menu, and if I show up tomorrow and they want me to go on first, well, that’s what I’m going to do, but we are last at this point.”
The event will feature some of WWE’s brightest stars of the present and the future. Undisputed WWE Champion is taking on NXT Champion Oba Femi, Bayley is wrestling Sol Ruca, and WWE Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Dragon Lee are going up against Je’Von Evans and TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater.
Stay tuned to VICE for live updates during Saturday Night’s Main Event.
The post Snoop Dogg, Tom Brady, Eli Manning Pay Respect to John Cena on ‘WWE SmackDown’ appeared first on VICE.
