How he reached the top of WWE

The last time is now. It is the name given to the tournament in which 16 wrestling giants compete to be the sole competitor in John Cena’s last fight before retirement.

And the final fight is now – Saturday night – in Washington, D.C., bringing down the curtain on an illustrious career that has seen the American become one of wrestling’s biggest and most bankable stars.

In the 8,570 days since his debut, Cena has clinched 17 world titles and coined the catchphrase “You can’t see me” – but the 48-year-old’s impact goes far beyond that.

If you were to ask the question “Who is John Cena?”, depending on who you ask, the answers may vary from a legendary WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) star to a successful movie actor, while some will say he is Mr. Make-A-Wish (more on that later).

How to watch John Cena’s last match:

• Start time: The main event of WWE Saturday Night is scheduled to begin at 01:00 GMT on Sunday 14 December
• Where to watch: In the UK, you can watch for free on the official WWE YouTube channel. It can be watched internationally on Netflix and on Peacock in the US

Since his debut in 2002, there has been an evolution in his wrestling persona – going from “Ruthless Aggression” rookie to “Doctor of Thuganomics” rapper, and eventually a heroic figure known for his “never give up” attitude.

Although some fans have criticized his in-ring ability, with occasional “You can’t wrestle” chants over the years, “there’s no doubt he’s an exceptional wrestling talent,” says Brandon Thurston, editor and owner of the wrestling website Wrestlenomics.

He feels that something changed in 2005, after which WWE became “increasingly scripted in a way it wasn’t before”, entering a more controlled, family-friendly PG era. But Cena succeeded in thriving.

“It was certainly the biggest draw over the period I would say from about 2005 to 2015,” says Mr. Thurston, during which Senna merchandise also regularly tops the company’s sales.

“There is no doubt that he was the most economically important wrestler in WWE throughout that period – in terms of pay-per-view buys, which were still central in that era, television ratings, and as a draw for house shows.”

And outside the ring, too, he’s a figure that “people gravitate toward and want to listen to,” Mr. Thurston says — and wrestling fans like Joe Clarkson and Sabrina Nicole feel just that.

“To survive for so long in an industry that is so taxing on the body is pretty amazing,” says Joe, 24, who was five when he first saw Cena on TV.

“I think as time went on, people gained more and more respect for him, not only as an actor, but also as an individual.”

For Sabrina, 37, who remembers Cena’s WWE debut in 2002, that’s his “charisma.”

“He always had something about him that made him a star,” she says, adding that for most of his career, he “always maintained a good-guy persona.”

“Regardless of the audience, regardless of what his fans thought of him. It was a testament that if you have a really good personality, you can be at the top,” she says.

It also seems that Cena, beyond his ability and personality, seized the opportunity.

With The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin no longer full-time wrestlers, WWE bosses were looking for a new star to emerge.

Brandon feels the leadership of WWE “He would be a very reliable, very hard-working person who they could entrust with such a place,” Senna admitted.

It is widely accepted within wrestling circles that the final decision to select Cena as the chosen star would ultimately have been made by then-WWE President Vince McMahon.

While he has been known to follow his instincts, there will also be judgment on Cena’s ability to connect with an enthusiastic audience on the mic, his marketability and whether he can stay in the industry long enough to turn a profit.

When Cena began taking more time away from wrestling in 2015 and working a reduced schedule, Mr. Thurston felt there was a “decline” in the WWE product.

Other wrestling experts have suggested that Cena’s presence over the years has helped slow WWE’s downward ratings slide, According to an analysis of the wrestling website PWtorchthe average viewership for Raw’s flagship weekly program saw a decline of 1 million between 2010 and 2015, to 3.7 million.

Dr Gillian Brooks, associate professor of marketing at King’s Business School, adds that having achieved so much in wrestling, Cena could have “just come in and been a wrestler and walked out”, but instead she says he has built a personal brand that comes across as authentic.

Among the brands Cena has worked with is Neutrogena, which became the face of its sunscreen campaign after revealing he had skin cancer – which he attributed to his lack of sun protection.

He also holds the Guinness World Record for the number of wishes granted through the Make-A-Wish Foundation, granting more than 650 wishes for children suffering from serious illnesses. It’s a partnership he revealed began “by chance”, but he has maintained it since 2002, describing it as “the coolest thing”.

“If you think about it from a child’s perspective, they see someone they’ve seen on TV watching WWE or in the movies, and suddenly they meet them,” Dr. Brooks says. “The fact that he does charity work, that he wrote a children’s book, he’s been in films, he makes music… all these things show that he’s not a one-trick pony.

“It comes across in a way that is very authentic and very pure to his character.”

Cena’s personal brand and charisma are both set to live on, but it appears his time in the ring is over after Cena announced last year that 2025 would be his last as a competitor.

Explaining his reasons at the time, he spoke about the physical toll wrestling had done to his body.

His career has seen him undergo several surgeries, including on his neck, chest and triceps, with Cena saying in interviews that his “body hurts” and he is “screaming to close the chapter”.

While the adage “never say never” is a common one, Cena has repeatedly said he will “100% finish it” – and he received rousing receptions around the world upon his latest appearance.

Overall, fan Joe is happy with Cena’s “retirement career,” as he has matches against longtime rivals like AJ Styles, Randy Orton, and CM Punk, and newer stars including Dominik Mysterio and Gunther.

He feels the “execution” of his final year could have been better, with Cena’s short-lived “heel turn” (turning heel) at the Elimination Chamber event in March drawing criticism.

“It could have been handled better,” Joe says. “[But] He had the unique distinction of having a retirement that no one had ever had before.

“It’s very sad to see him retiring now. But I think he said it himself, it’s the right time.”

This doesn’t mean WWE fans will never see Cena again; He has signed a five-year contract to be an ambassador for the company.

After winning The Last Time Is Now tournament, it is former World Heavyweight Champion Gunter who will face Cena in his final fight.

Since it was not broadcast on terrestrial television, but rather on streaming platforms, it was reported that there was no time limit for the match – and Guenther, who had never wrestled Cena before, was giving a lot of tough talk.

One thing is for sure: “You can’t see me” may have been Cena’s taunt at Gunther, but the final fight will be seen and remembered by many.