When John Cena stepped into the ring in the middle of Money in the Bank and announced that he was retiring from professional wrestling in 2025, it caught the entire WWE Universe off guard.

Some started hypothesizing about who should retire “The Champ,” others celebrated his accomplishments, and others still suggested he could end up wrestling for AEW, even if that feels like a borderline impossibility for more reasons than one.

And yet, the biggest surprise of all may have actually come during the official press conference after the show as, in his second question from the assembled media, “The Face That Runs the Place” actually let it be known that this 2025 retirement tour idea wasn't his at all but instead WWE's, as they approached him about the length of this farewell tour.

“That's a good question, and I think the answer is because it's not up to me. Again, I approached WWE with this idea, and they kind of initiated the talks that this was kind of, this would be a great span of time, if we were ever going to do it. Gosh and, this is not thanks to me, but the business is at incredible heights of popularity and awareness, there is some really big things going on, including the Netflix debut, which is very important,” John Cena explained after Money in the Bank.

“And I take pride in still being an individual who hey, WWE is the they, can call up and say hey, remember that idea you were talking about? We think the time is now. So that really warmed my heart that not only did my thoughts resinate of, ‘Let's do something together so we can bring all of us together, where all of us can bond and have excitement.' And they will write the story, and we will execute the best we can, but I am flattered that I was asked to be part of something like this.”

Wow, shocking stuff, right? While it's safe to say Cena didn't expect to wrestle forever, and was probably down to close out his career in 2025 one way or another, it's certainly interesting to learn that WWE wanted him to make him a focal point of the year, with each move, match, and title win all the more important as a result. While this may not have been what Cena was initially looking for, it's safe to say fans are happy that the two sides agreed to such an expansive farewell, as darn near every fan who wants to see “The Champ” one final time will get to do so one way or another.

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John Cena lays out his retirement tour plans for 2025

Speaking of John Cena's retirement tour, before fans got too worried about a swift run through a few PLEs on his way out of the door, the 16-time champion laid out his plans for 2025, which could include over 40 appearances before everything is said and done.

“Here’s where we give you some of the deets of the farewell tour. It’s not gonna end at WrestleMania [41]. WrestleMania will be my last WrestleMania. But hopefully, if everything goes according to plan, we’re going straight through from January to December. We’re gonna try to go a long list of dates. I think right now, tentatively, it’s hovering in the mid-30s to 40s because I’m still gonna try to juggle a lot of stuff that’s going on. That will be the end of my in-ring completion,” John Cena told reporters via EWrestling News.

“Now, part of this business plan that I proposed and they proposed, thank you, they, was me remaining in the WWE family in some capacity for an extended time to come. I’ve always said to the audience that the WWE is my home, and I love it. Just because I physically I feel I’m at my end, doesn’t mean I need to distance myself from something I love. I have passion for this business. I still watch Money in the Bank and yell at the screen and yell at the guys for what they’re doing or what they could be doing, so I still, I feel I have some wisdom locked up here that could be of some value. So I look forward to ending my participation in the ring in the best way that I possibly can and being a member of the extended WWE family for quite some time to come.”

After spending the vast majority of this decade away from the WWE Universe, with his longest run coming due to the SAG-AFTRA strike last fall, it would appear Cena has committed one final year of his life to being a full-time WWE Superstar. While only time will tell how many matches he works over that 30-40-plus run on weekly television, PLEs, and special occasions, it's safe to say the two sides had to commit to something pretty special to come to an agreement, as Cena is leaving very real money on the table to do this run, even if WWE will likely compensate him handsomely for his time and efforts.