John Cena Bids Farewell to WWE Raw With Final Appearance
Springfield, Massachusetts, was the stage for John Cena’s last-ever appearance on WWE Raw, as the 16-time World Champion continued his farewell tour.
According to WWLP, the MassMutual Center hosted the nationally televised show for the first time, and every ticket was sold out—7,285 distributed with none left. For Cena, who once studied at Springfield College, it was a true homecoming.
The night opened with Cena addressing the crowd to thunderous chants of his name. He didn’t hold back when mentioning longtime rival Brock Lesnar.
“I’m scared of Brock Lesnar, but I’m not scared of Suplex City—because I invented Suplex City,” Cena told the crowd, prompting chants of “F Brock Lesnar” and “Whoop his ass!” He even laughed at a sign comparing his trademark jorts to Lesnar’s now-infamous ripped jeans from SmackDown.
The rest of the card delivered a stacked night of action.
According to Forbes, Lyra Valkyria defeated Roxanne Perez before Bayley made a surprise return to even the odds. Penta scored a highlight-reel win over Kofi Kingston with a springboard Mexican Destroyer. El Grande Americano topped Dragon Lee in a chaotic match featuring impostors until AJ Styles intervened. Stephanie Vaquer defeated Kairi Sane in a stiff contest, while Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker bested LA Knight and Jimmy Uso in the night’s main event.
One of the biggest moments came during a fiery segment with CM Punk, AJ Lee, Becky Lynch, and Seth Rollins. The crowd unleashed chants at all four before Lee drew laughs and gasps with, “I’m Puerto Rican, I might shank a chick.” The moment ended with Lynch planting her with a Manhandle Slam, setting up the next chapter in their feud.
Cena’s Raw farewell follows another milestone earlier this month—his final SmackDown appearance on September 5 in Chicago. The night brought his career full circle, taking place in the same arena where he debuted against Kurt Angle back in 2002. More than 16,000 fans were there to watch him close out the show that launched his career.
With both SmackDown and Raw appearances now behind him, Cena has only a handful of dates left before his final match in December. Whether it’s a rumored showdown with Brock Lesnar or another surprise opponent, every stop on the “Last Time is Now” tour feels like the closing of a historic chapter in the WWE.