Dwayne Johnson’s Archrival Says No One Cares About His WWE Farewell Tour Ahead of Royal Rumble 2026
John Cena stunned fans on The Joe Rogan Experience by revealing he plans to retire on the 13th, sending the internet into a frenzy and setting up fresh drama with Dwayne Johnson as the Royal Rumble draws near.
Well, that escalated quickly. John Cena went on The Joe Rogan Experience and basically said he’s done — and he’s fully expecting the world to move on before the next big WWE tentpole even hits. Naturally, the internet took that and set itself on fire.
What Cena actually said
'I’m gonna retire on the 13th... By the Royal Rumble, the road to WrestleMania, nobody gives a f*ck, ‘cause they’re focusing on what the show is. That’s like 3 weeks after I retire... nobody’s going to give a f*ck.'
That’s blunt even by Cena standards. He also stressed he wasn’t fishing for sympathy or a 'please remember me' goodbye. The man’s being practical — and a little fatalistic — about his place in a machine that keeps rolling.
Hold up — the 13th of what?
He doesn’t say. But do the math: WWE’s Royal Rumble 2026 is set for Saturday, January 31, 2026. If he keeps saying it’ll be about three weeks after he retires, that points to January 13, 2026 as the likely date. That’s an educated guess based on his own timeline, not an official announcement.
How fans took it (spoiler: feelings everywhere)
Reactions split fast on December 6, 2025. Some fans aren’t buying that Cena will be 'forgotten' — others are already bracing for the void:
- One fan, Mitchell Bay (@MITCHELLBIZZAY), said once Cena’s last match is done, there’s basically nothing left keeping them watching WWE.
- Another, Kelvin Mandala Putra (@KelvinMP_WWE), pushed back hard on the 'forgotten' idea, calling Cena the face of WWE and saying no one has truly replaced him.
- Savio Santos (@saviosantos24) read it as Cena getting emotional — and predicted he’ll feel lost without the WWE Universe.
- A fan graphic from @ProWFinesse lined up the poetry of his run: debut vs. Kurt Angle, final match vs. Gunther. That last part is fan-made speculation, not an official card, but it tells you where people’s heads are at.
The Rock question — is this finally the end of that story?
Cena’s retirement talk instantly reignited the Cena vs. Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson conversation. Their rivalry might be the most commercially loaded WWE saga of the last decade-plus, with just enough real-life friction baked in to keep people arguing about it years later. If there’s ever going to be closure, the calendar lines up: Royal Rumble 2026 is a big enough stage to plant a final seed before WrestleMania. That said, it’s all chatter right now — nothing confirmed.
The bottom line
Cena says he’s retiring 'on the 13th' and expects WWE to move on fast. Royal Rumble lands January 31, 2026, which fits his 'three weeks later' timeline. Fans are split between denial, nostalgia, and acceptance, and some are already mythologizing a final opponent. As for The Rock? The moment feels right for one last beat — whether that’s a face-off, a handshake, or a surprise run-in that hijacks Cena’s goodbye. We’ll see if WWE goes for the clean ending or keeps the door cracked on purpose.