John Cena is set to return to WWE television next week. Cena retired from in-ring competition in December 2025 but has continued to make special appearances.
Cena is set to appear on the November 2 episode of Raw at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. His return to Raw comes nearly a year after WWE announced he had made his final appearance on the show.
That appearance came on November 17, 2025, at Madison Square Garden. Cena teamed with Rey Mysterio and Sheamus that night to defeat The Judgment Day’s Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, and JD McDonagh in a six-man tag team match.
But the return does not mean Cena is coming out of retirement, and it isn’t tied to a new match. His final match came on December 13, 2025, when he lost to Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C.
During an August appearance on the Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend podcast, Cena said he has no plans to wrestle again. He intends to keep helping WWE in ambassador and promotional roles.
Cena’s return also comes as WWE prepares for the John Cena Classic, a tournament he announced at Backlash. The tournament is expected to take place in December. Wrestling Noticias previously reported that WWE is considering December 12 and December 19 for the event.
Raw in Brooklyn will run on a different schedule. It will start at 6 p.m. ET on Netflix, two hours earlier than usual.
WWE will also tape the November 6 episode of SmackDown after Raw. It will air the night before Crown Jewel, which is set for November 7 in Saudi Arabia.