John Cena returns to host WrestleMania 42 months after finishing in-ring career

WWE women's champion Jade Cargill tells Fox News Digital why she has the edge over Rhea Ripley ahead of WrestleMania 42.

LAS VEGAS – John Cena finished up his in-ring career in December at Saturday Night’s Main Event, losing to Gunther in his final match.

Cena’s 2025 was bumpy to say the least. He won the men’s Elimination Chamber match, earning a shot at the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes. On the same night, he turned heel, aligning himself with The Rock. He vowed to "ruin professional wrestling" as he picked up the record-breaking 17th WWE championship of his career at WrestleMania 41.

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Cody Rhodes and CM Punk present John Cena with the Undisputed WWE Championship and the World Heavyweight Championship during Saturday Night's Main Event at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 13, 2025. (Rich Freeda/WWE)

He returned as a face before SummerSlam, dropping the title back to Rhodes. He briefly had an Intercontinental Championship run, which saw him lose to Dominik Mysterio at Survivor Series: WarGames. Weeks later, his career came to an end.

Cena vowed that he was finished wrestling for good. But that didn’t necessarily mean he was going to reappear in a different capacity.

He will host WrestleMania 42 on Saturday and Sunday night.

It will be the first time that Cena will be back at a WWE event since his retirement.

WrestleMania Nights 1 and 2 will take place in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium for the second consecutive time.

John Cena looks on during Saturday Night's Main Event at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 13, 2025. (Rich Freeda/WWE)

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