4 Wrestlers who debuted before John Cena and are still wrestling full-time

John Cena decided to end an illustrious career and announced his impending retirement from wrestling in 2025. The Cenation Leader revealed that he will have a farewell tour, which is expected to end in December 2025.

The 16-time world champion will retire 23 years after debuting in WWE. John Cena first appeared on June 27, 2002, when he took on Kurt Angle after answering his open challenge.

John Cena, though, is not the only superstar who debuted more than 20 years ago and is still active in the wrestling business. In this article, we look at four stars who debuted in WWE before the Cenation Leader and are still wrestling full-time.

#4. Christian

Christian first appeared in WWE (then WWF) on September 27, 1998, when he interfered in a match between Edge and Owen Hart. Even though he and the Rated-R Superstar were once rivals, they later became tag team partners and had stellar careers in WWE.

Christian spent 19 years with WWE in two stints (1998-2005, 2009-2021), becoming the World Heavyweight Champion twice. He also won the Intercontinental Championship four times and the Tag Team Titles nine times.

Since 2021, he has been wrestling full-time for AEW under the name Christian Cage and recently feuded with Edge.

#3. Edge

The Hall of Famer made his WWE debut on June 22, 1998, and even though he wasn't considered championship material early on, he eventually became a legend in the wrestling business. He and John Cena were part of the title picture in WWE for several years.

He stayed with World Wrestling Entertainment for 27 years (1996-2023) but had to retire for nine years (2011-2020) due to a serious neck injury. He won every title in his career (four-time WWE champion, seven-time World Heavyweight Champion, 14-time Tag Team Champion, five-time Intercontinental Champion, one-time Money in the Bank and Royal Rumble winner). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2012.

In 2023, he signed with AEW and has been performing full-time since under his real name, Adam Copeland.

#2. Chris Jericho

An iconic figure in WWE, Chris Jericho first appeared in World Wrestling Entertainment on August 9, 1999, when he interrupted and confronted The Rock, starting a feud with The Great One.

Since then, Jericho emerged as a top talent and became a megastar, winning the World Heavyweight Championship three times and the Intercontinental Championship nine times, among other titles.

He spent 17 years with WWE (1999-2005, 2007-2018), while he moved to AEW in 2019 and is still performing there. He was the inaugural AEW World Champion and currently holds the FTW Championship.

#1. Randy Orton debuted 104 days before John Cena

WWE Superstar Randy Orton (Photo credit: WWE.com)

Randy Orton has been with WWE his entire career. He signed with the company in 2000 but debuted two years later, on March 16, 2002, at WrestleMania 18, when he lost to Tommy Dreamer.

He and John Cena became two of the most successful wrestlers of their generation, and their in-ring rivalry lasted several years.

Unlike John Cena, who has been wrestling part-time and will retire next year, Orton is a full-time wrestler and has no plans to retire soon. He has won all major titles and is a 14-time world champion (10-time WWE Champion, four-time World Heavyweight Champion).