His Time is Up, Your Topps is Now

John Cena Retires After Saturday Night’s Main Event

John Cena officially retired after Saturday Night’s Main Event, closing the career of one of WWE’s greatest stars. This tribute walks through Cena’s legacy using some of his most memorable Topps cards—from his early Thuganomics era to his final 2025 Topps NOW release.

It’s not every day that you get to say goodbye to a living legend. And it’s certainly not every day that you get to do it on both your terms and theirs. But that’s the gift given to us by arguably the greatest professional wrestler of all time, John Cena.

This past Saturday, December 13, we all saw the GOAT button up his signature jorts, pump up his kicks, and slide into the ring one… last… time. And though Cena has told us this is really the last time and we’ll “Never see him again,” his greatest moments are seared into our minds forever.

So, with a proper beginning and end to his story, let’s explore John Cena’s career through some of his best Topps cards one last time.

2004 Topps UK Raw and SmackDown Apocalypse #S13 John Cena

In 2002, we witnessed the birth of a new science: Thuganomics. And Dr. Cena was making house calls. After his famous debut with Kurt Angle, Cena did something we wouldn’t see (get it?) until 2025—he turned heel. John largely credits Stephanie McMahon for changing his career trajectory when she heard him freestyle rap in the back of the talent bus and encouraged him to make it part of his gimmick. After numerous feuds with superstars like Chris Jericho, Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero, and Brock Lesnar, John finally captured his first singles gold in 2004 after defeating Big Show for the United States Championship.

FUN FACT: At the end of October 2004, Cena was storyline… well… let’s say injured at a nightclub so he could take time off to film his first ever movie: The Marine.

2006 Topps Heritage II WWE Autographs John Cena

In the 2005 Royal Rumble, we got one of the wildest finishes in the PPV’s history when Cena and Batista simultaneously eliminated each other, something that was a complete coincidence. After a restart by Vince McMahon, who legitimately and completely tore both of his quads getting into the ring, Cena won the Rumble. This led to the first of his seventeen WWE Championships at WrestleMania 21 and, months later, he introduced his famous custom “spinner belt.”

FUN FACT: 2006’s ECW One Night Stand PPV was the first time we saw the phrase “If Cena wins, we riot.”

2012 Topps WWE Ringside Relic Dog Tags #10 John Cena

Over the next five years, Cena would solidify himself as a top-level talent and a very polarizing superstar. When people think about his career, this is the era most will recall, as he won 11 world championships and four tag team titles, and had some of his most memorable feuds with the likes of Edge, Umaga, and Randy Orton. He’d have an hour-long match with Shawn Michaels on a random Monday Night Raw, a shocking return from injury in the 2008 Rumble, and meet arguably his greatest foe during the “Summer of Punk” in 2011. This is when John Cena really cooked.

FUN FACT: 2012 was our first “Once in a Lifetime” match between Cena and The Rock. Yes. I said first Once in a Lifetime.

2019 Topps WWE Transcendent Collection Black Auto #A-JC John Cena /5

By this point, even though Cena had become less of an active competitor and more of a living legend, he still told us some incredible stories. WrestleMania 29 saw him take back the WWE Championship from The Rock, and 2014’s SummerSlam was when Brock Lesnar introduced John and us to his hometown of Suplex City. Fast forward to 2015, when we saw John’s first-ever U.S. Title Open Challenge, exposing us to the greatness of the present and future roster and leading to his epic rivalry with AJ Styles in 2016. But 2019 was when we saw him officially become a part-time superstar, though he was still telling great tales in the squared circle alongside the late, great Bray Wyatt.

FUN FACT: John Cena would have won his 16th world title a full 17 months earlier if not for interference from The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart. Man… you gotta love wrestling.

2025 WWE Topps NOW® Card 4 John Cena Auto-Relic 1/1

So, we fast-forward another half-decade. Past his incredible, unorthodox Firefly Fun House Match with Bray Wyatt/The Fiend in 2020, which provided an interesting perspective into Cena’s career. Past his brief feud, passing the torch to the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns. Past scattered appearances until January 2025, when he began his announced year-long retirement tour. Through a bumpy heel turn, John was able to finally capture his “never seen 17,” defeating Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41. What followed was a greatest hits of Cena’s best rivalries and allies.

FUN FACT: John Cena is R-Truth’s childhood hero despite being a full 5 years older than Cena.

2025 WWE Topps NOW Card Cena

And so here we are at the end of our journey with John Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event. WWE put on a “Last Time is Now” Tournament to determine Cena’s final opponent, which ultimately was The Ring General, Gunther. 

It was an emotional night, full of tributes and well-wishes. But what everyone came to see was the main event. John Cena fought valiantly, as he always does. However, after a gruelling 24-minute slobber-knocker, the 48-year-old legend tapped out.

FUN FACT: I cried—a lot.

But where many see this as a sad ending, I see it as a beautiful one. John, with a content smile on his face, aware of what his body did or rather didn’t have left, told us that while John Cena the wrestler was all about “Never Giving Up,” John Cena the man is about “Always Giving Back.”

Not just giving back to the industry by “going out on his shield,” but with his time. We’re talking about a man who holds the Guinness World Record for most wishes granted to The Make-A-Wish Foundation, to the tune of over 450 wishes. A man who doesn’t just preach Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect, but embodies it.

So, from all of us… Thank you, John. Thank you for letting us see you.

Jake Bennett is a guest contributor and co-host of the Rebooked wrestling podcast.

More Topps and Cena FAQs

• Which John Cena Topps cards are most iconic?
  • Collectors often point to the 2004 Apocalypse rookie-era card, 2006 Heritage II autograph, and the 2019 Transcendent auto. Each captures a defining moment in Cena’s evolution from rising star to all-time legend.
• Did Cena retire during a WWE storyline or real event?
  • Cena’s December 2025 retirement match was a storyline-driven event but served as his real in-ring farewell. WWE framed it as the “Last Time Is Now” Tournament, culminating in a final match vs. Gunther.
• Are John Cena’s autograph cards rare?
  • Yes. Sets like Topps Transcendent feature extremely low-numbered Cena autos—sometimes /5 or /1—making them premium collector chases. Scarcity varies by year and product.
• What makes Cena’s cards so collectible?
  • Cena’s legacy, longevity, and crossover fame give his cards broad appeal. Early-era Topps cards highlight his rise, while late-career inserts and autos document his transformation into a global icon.
• Is the 2025 Topps NOW Cena Auto–Relic a major chase?
  • The 1/1 auto-relic is one of the most sought-after late-career Cena cards because it marks his final storyline run and retirement moment.

Key Facts

• John Cena officially retired at WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event in December 2025.
• His earliest notable Topps card appears in 2004’s UK Raw & SmackDown Apocalypse.
• Cena holds the Guinness World Record for the most Make-A-Wish wishes granted.
• Cena’s Topps cards reflect major career chapters—Thuganomics, U.S. Title run, world titles, and late-career legend status.

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