WASHINGTON, Dec 15 — Wrestling icon John Cena bowed out of the ring on Saturday, closing the chapter on his WWE career with an emotional final match.

The 47-year-old had announced in July 2024 that he would retire from World Wrestling Entertainment in 2025, with his final WrestleMania appearance taking place earlier this year.

His farewell came in a match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII in Washington, DC, US marking the final stop of his retirement tour, according to a report in Rolling Stone.

The nearly 25-minute bout ended with Cena tapping out after being caught in a sleeper hold, as fans in the arena chanted “Don’t give up!”.

A tribute video featuring celebrities including Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Jimmy Fallon and Jelly Roll was played, with Jelly Roll saying: “John Cena, the legendary, never seen 17 [championships]. Man, thank you for all these years.”

Cena later remained in the ring as the crowd chanted “Thank you Cena!”, telling fans: “It’s been a pleasure serving you for all these years. Thank you.”

While he may still appear in WWE outside the ring, Cena is expected to turn his full attention to his acting career, which includes Peacemaker, Matchbox and recent cameo appearances in The Bear and Pluribus.