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WWE honored John Cena on SmackDown with tributes from Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Snoop Dogg, CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, and Roman Reigns before his final match against Gunther.
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WWE rolled out the red carpet for John Cena on Friday night, delivering an emotional, star-studded tribute on SmackDown ahead of his final match.
With Cena officially set to retire on Saturday at Saturday Night’s Main Event, WWE took the opportunity to celebrate the “Never Seen 17″ in style.
Alongside the usual highlight reels, fans were treated to video messages from some seriously big names — Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Snoop Dogg, and more — all saluting Cena’s legendary career.
“Congratulations on an incredible career,” Brady said. “You’ve impacted so many lives inside and outside the ring. Good luck in your last match — I hope you do better than I did in mine.”
Manning kept things playful. “You inspired so many people,” he said. “You won a ton of championships — almost enough for me to forget you’re a die-hard Patriots fan. Almost.”
Snoop Dogg, unsurprisingly, stole his moment. “Congratulations, my one,” he said. “I’mma smoke one… matter of fact, I’mma blow one for the pole one.”
Earlier this week, WWE also released a tribute video on its official YouTube channel, featuring nearly the entire roster recreating Cena’s iconic taunts — from the salute to the immortal ‘You Can’t See Me.’
The final stretch of the tribute leaned heavily on Cena’s greatest rivals. CM Punk recreated the cross-legged pose from his iconic 2011 “Pipe Bomb” moment.
Brock Lesnar bluntly held up a sign reading “I can see you,” a nod to his role as Cena’s ultimate nemesis, while Roman Reigns closed the video — fitting, given Cena has publicly called him the greatest wrestler of all time.
On Saturday, Cena’s storied journey comes full circle when the 17-time world champion steps into the ring one last time against Gunther.
After announcing 2025 as his final year, WWE gave fans time to say goodbye — and Friday night proved just how much Cena meant to wrestling, and beyond.
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. December 13, 2025, 15:42 IST
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