Just when it looked like John Cena’s WWE chapter was firmly closed, the 17-time champion has announced he’ll be back in front of the WWE Universe — this time as the official host of WrestleMania 42.
Cena retired from professional wrestling on 13 December 2025, tapping out to Gunther in a 23-minute match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington D.C. The entire WWE locker room came out to say goodbye, and the crowd chanted “thank you, Cena.” By most accounts, it was a proper ending. That ending, it turns out, lasted about three and a half months.
On Monday, Cena posted a video to his official X account confirming he will be at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas as the official host of the two-night event. Filming the announcement from the set of his upcoming Netflix movie One Attempt Remaining, Cena quipped: “Ah, retired life in the sun. I’m kidding! Check out the backdrop.” He went on to tell fans: “Rumour around this town is WrestleMania needs a host. Well, I’m already on that road — so I will see you at WrestleMania.”
It’s a role that will likely give Cena a more fitting send-off than his retirement match allowed. His in-ring career ended at Saturday Night’s Main Event rather than at WrestleMania in front of the biggest crowd of the year — a consequence of WWE’s decision to run his farewell tour across the full calendar year of 2025.
Cena had quite a final year. He shockingly turned heel, beat Cody Rhodes for the WWE Championship in the WrestleMania 41 main event, reverted to babyface, and eventually dropped the title back to Rhodes before briefly holding the Intercontinental Championship. Hosting this year’s event at the very same venue — Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas — adds a neat full-circle quality to his return.
The guest host role can range from a brief cameo to a pivotal presence woven into the show’s biggest storylines, and there’s already speculation about whether Cena could get involved in the ring — as previous WrestleMania hosts Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock have done in the past.
What’s on the WrestleMania 42 Card?
The event is shaping up to be one of the most stacked in recent memory. CM Punk defends the World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes puts the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line against Randy Orton, Jade Cargill defends the WWE Women’s Championship against Rhea Ripley, and Stephanie Vaquer faces Liv Morgan for the Women’s World Championship. AJ Lee defends the Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Becky Lynch, and Sami Zayn puts the United States Championship up against Trick Williams.
WrestleMania 42 takes place on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 April at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with the main card starting at 6pm ET. The first hour of each night will also air on ESPN2 and ESPN respectively.
Whether Cena sticks strictly to hosting duties or finds a way to make himself part of the action, one thing’s certain — WrestleMania weekend just got a whole lot more interesting.