John Cena maintains no amount of money will get him back in the ring: ‘No Khan has got the pocketbook’
John Cena has made it clear there is no amount of money that he could be offered to get him to return to the ring after his farewell tour in 2025 that saw him win the WWE title for the 17th time.
Cena was broached again with the topic during Fan Expo Canada over the weekend where at least one fan was chanting, “One more match.” He plainly stated that WWE president Nick Khan nor All Elite Wrestling (AEW) owner Tony Khan could come up with enough cash for one more match.
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John Cena speaks during WWE Backlash at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Fla., on May 9, 2026. (WWE via Getty Images)
“I’m out, dog. No Khan has got the pocketbook,” Cena said. “Nick, Tony, they ain’t got the money. I’m out. And I’m going to take your chant and say that because a lot of you folks spent a whole lot of resources on my farewell tour. If I decide to selfishly come back for ego-driven reasons, basically that’s saying I’m lying to every one of y’all.
“You might not mind, but there are people who paid a fortune to sit at that last match. And for me to be like, ‘Just kidding’ … I met so many families that put so much effort into saving just to see those moments. For me, I’m out of it with my health. I feel good. I got good clarity and good closure. As far as me falling down ever again, that’s out.”
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John Cena and Shay Shariatzadeh attend the Los Angeles premiere of “Coyote Vs. ACME” at Village Theatre in Westwood, Calif., on Aug. 26, 2026. (WireImage)
Cena’s farewell tour saw him turn heel for the first time in decades, which set up his main event match at WrestleMania 41 against Cody Rhodes. He won the Undisputed WWE Championship then and held it until SummerSlam – where he dropped the belt back to Rhodes.
He had a brief Intercontinental Championship run and then lost his final match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
John Cena faces Dominik Mysterio during Survivor Series at Petco Park in San Diego, Calif., on Nov. 29, 2025. (WWE via Getty Images)
Cena has since appeared on WWE programming in an announcer role. He revealed at Backlash in May there will be a forthcoming John Cena Classic to showcase the rising talent across the WWE roster. But details for that are still unclear.
