John Cena's Potential Last SmackDown Episode: What to Expect

WrestleVotes is reporting that sources are “quietly expecting tomorrow night to be John Cena’s final SmackDown.” As per the report, Cena only has seven dates remaining, and only two have yet to be announced, which means it’s unlikely that it will be SmackDown.

Another interesting tidbit is that if this Friday’s episode of SmackDown is his last, it will be at Chicago’s Allstate Arena. What does the arena mean to the future Hall of Famer? Cena made his debut at the Allstate Arena on the June 27, 2002, episode of SmackDown, where he answered Kurt Angle’s open challenge. It was one of the moments that ushered in the Ruthless Aggression era of WWE.

So for all the Cena and SmackDown fans, tomorrow’s episode will not be one to miss. Cena’s latest SmackDown appearance was on the August 29 episode. As noted, the episode didn’t do well in ratings and was ranked the lowest since November 24, 2023.

John Cena's Final Tour

Cena announced his farewell tour on July 6, 2024, at the Money in the Bank PLE in Toronto. His run has been an interesting one, to say the least. He turned heel for the first time in his career, which saw mixed reviews, and then right before his title match against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam, he changed back to the babyface fans love.

During this current run, Cena held the Undisputed WWE Championship from WrestleMania 41 to SummerSlam. His most recent match was a win against Logan Paul at Clash in Paris. The PLE was on August 31 at the Paris La Défense Arena. On September 20 at Wrestlepalooza, Cena will more than likely be facing Brock Lesnar. Lesnar returned at the end of SummerSlam and attacked the 48-year-old. This PLE marks the first one for ESPN’s DTC service.

His retirement match is set for December 13 at Saturday Night's Main Event. An opponent has yet to be announced. The show will be airing exclusively on Peacock, under the streaming service’s new agreement with WWE. It will be interesting to see who he faces and if tomorrow is really his last SmackDown ever...