John Cena retirement -- 13 key chapters from his WWE career - ESPN

John Cena's entrance theme announces that «my time is now.» But his time is fleeting.

Cena, 48, announced last summer that 2025 would be the end of his time as an active WWE wrestler. Each match brings him closer to hanging up the jorts on Dec. 13 — including at the WWE's inaugural Wrestlepalooza in Indianapolis on Sept. 20 (7 p.m. ET on ESPN Unlimited).

For those joining the farewell tour late and those looking to take a journey back through a remarkable career inside and outside the ring, we now present the John Cena Eras Tour.

In 2001, the WWE signed John Cena — a former NCAA Division III All-American football player at Springfield College, aspiring bodybuilder and son of an independent wrestling manager «Johnny Fabulous» — to a development deal in Ohio Valley Wrestling.

There were no jorts. No chains. No «you can't see me.» There was a crew cut, except it was bleached a piercing blonde. There were biceps. Large biceps. Cena was billed as «The Prototype,» proclaiming that he was «50% man and 50% machine» during intentionally robotic promos. At best, he looked like a video-game character from a «Street Fighter» knockoff. At worst, he looked like Ludvig Borga.

The Prototype would win the OVW championship in February 2002 and earn his call-up to the WWE main roster, where he thankfully ditched the dye job and immediately became… ruthless.

On a June 2002 edition of «SmackDown,» Kurt Angle walked to the ring while fans chanted «you suck» during his entrance theme — years before they'd hijack Cena's theme to do the same.

Former WWE owner Vince McMahon had recently commenced an era of «Ruthless Aggression» for the roster, encouraging wrestlers to conquer all adversaries. In that spirit, Angle issued an open challenge to the