Just days after his in-ring retirement, John Cena is set to be back in WWE, but with a different purpose. In a recent tease, it was announced that Cena would be making an appearance on Cody Rhodes' What Do You Wanna Talk About? podcast.

Cena will appear as a guest on Rhodes' podcast later today, on Dec. 18, 2025. This is seemingly what Rhodes was referencing when he wrote,”The first time after the last time,” on social media.

Previously noted by Cena multiple times, the “Leader of Cenation” is now completely done with wrestling. He recently faced Gunther in his final match and gracefully tapped out to the “Ring General,” giving up in his career's final moment.

Cena and Rhodes share a vivid history, and fans will now be on the edge of their seats to learn more about their relationship as the duo sit together for the first time.

More about Cody Rhodes and John Cena's WWE history

Cody Rhodes, John Cena, who had a match at WWE SummerSlam, and others at WrestleMania 40.
Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images.
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While Cena has been a regular name in WWE since the early 2000s, Rhodes joined the promotion several years later in the mid-2000s. Despite Rhodes' legacy as Dusty Rhodes' son, he never received a major push early in his career, while Cena soared high as the company's poster boy.

In spite of their ranking differences, Cena and Rhodes shared the ring several times in multi-man matches till 2013, when they had their first match. However, their 2013 match finished very quickly, as Cena squashed Rhodes in under two minutes.

Shortly after, the “American Nightmare” parted ways with the company and returned several years later in 2022. However, the two did not meet each other before WrestleMania 41, where Cena defeated Rhodes.

Cody Rhodes later avenged his loss when he defeated Cena at SummerSlam 2025 and regained the WWE Championship. The duo also later teamed up to face Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul on the Aug. 8, 2025, episode of Friday Night SmackDown.

Two of the most celebrated names in the promotion, Rhodes is beginning to take over as the promotion's poster boy, while Cena will now be looking forward to his Hollywood career.