Report: John Cena’s Appearance On 9/5 WWE SmackDown May Be His Last On The Brand
John Cena’s appearance on the September 5 episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown could be his final appearance on the show where he made his WWE debut.
John Cena only has eight appearances left as a WWE Superstar before his retirement. On September 5, he will be here live on WWE Friday Night SmackDown from Chicago, Illinois. According to a new report from WrestleVotes on X, it is expected internally at WWE that this may be his last appearance on the brand.
Should this be his final appearance on WWE SmackDown, he will have had his last appearance, just as he had his first SmackDown appearance, at The Allstate Arena in Chicago, Illinois.
We’re told some within WWE are quietly expecting tomorrow night to be John Cena’s final SmackDown. According to a source, with only seven remaining dates left—and just two yet to be announced—it’s unlikely another will be a SmackDown event, meaning Cena will have debuted and…
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) September 4, 2025
He made his debut in that venue in 2002 when he challenged Kurt Angle and displayed his “ruthless aggression.” Angle recently noted that he wishes he could face Cena on his retirement tour. Read more here.
Of his remaining appearances, there is one confirmed appearance on WWE Raw in addition to his appearance on the September 5 episode of SmackDown. These are his only confirmed television appearances to date. The other appearances include three WWE Premium Live Events and his retirement match, which is slated for December 13. Two appearances are still to be announced.
Check out the full breakdown of John Cena’s remaining confirmed appearances below:
- September 5: WWE SmackDown (Chicago, IL
- September 15: WWE Raw (Lowell, Massachusetts)
- September 20: WWE Wrestlepalooza (Indianapolis, Indiana)
- October 11: WWE Crown Jewel: Perth (Perth, Australia)
- November 29: WWE Survivor Series (San Diego, CA)
- December 13: WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event (Retirement Match)
It is still unknown who John Cena will have his final match against. Fans can learn more about John Cena’s retirement match here.
Fightful covers WWE SmackDown live every Friday night as it airs on USA. We also have a podcast that breaks down all the action after the show airs on our YouTube channel.
