John Cena Reacts to Massive WWE Announcement

WWE star John Cena has shared his reaction to massive news related to the global juggernaut. Cena, a staple of WWE programming for over two decades, is set to retire from in-ring duties at the end of this year. At SummerSlam, he officially brought an end to his heel run, turning back into a beloved babyface.

While Cena is moving toward the end of his in-ring chapter, WWE is breaking new ground. On Wednesday, August 6, the Stamford-based company inked a five-year deal with ESPN to air its premium live events in the USA. It will come into effect from 2026.

The PLEs will stream on ESPN's new Direct-to-Consumer platform, DTC, which is priced at $29.99 per month. According to various sources, ESPN will pay WWE $325 million per year as part of the agreement. This new arrangement will replace the company's current deal with Peacock for its PLEs in the United States of America.

Reacting to the news, John Cena shared his thoughts via a post on X.

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"Proud would be an understatement. This landmark partnership represents an exciting future for #WWE as a flagship member of the ESPN family. Cannot wait to see what the world of sports entertainment looks like on @ESPN. Excited for 2026!'' he wrote.

This deal marks another significant milestone for WWE's programming. Last year, the Sports Entertainment giant signed a 10-year deal worth $5 billion with Netflix to stream RAW in the United States. The red brand's show premiered on the streaming platform on January 6, 2025.

Meanwhile, Friday Night SmackDown will continue to air on USA Network and remain available to stream on Peacock.

John Cena is set to feud with Brock Lesnar

After mending his ways on last week's SmackDown, John Cena officially walked back on his heel turn at SummerSlam. The Unseen 17 defended the Undisputed WWE Championship against Cody Rhodes in a Street Fight, which saw both wrestlers pull out all stops.

The match ended in favor of Rhodes, but he left the ring to allow Cena to soak in the adulation from the crowd at his final SummerSlam event as a pro wrestler. However, the moment was interrupted by the shocking return of Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar, making his first WWE appearance since SummerSlam 2023, came down to the ring and nailed an F-5 on The Greatest of All Time.

This likely sets up John Cena's next WWE feud, as the clock ticks on his Retirement Tour.

About the author

Sherjeel Malik is a writer at Sportskeeda and covers pro wrestling. He was hooked on the product from the moment he saw The Hardy Boyz jumping off ladders during the Attitude Era. While he comes from an engineering background, Sherjeel’s love for pro wrestling and content writing led him to pursue a career in sports journalism. Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Sherjeel worked at other reputable organizations for five years.

While writing articles, he ensures that he only relies on credible sources for information and covers relevant subjects that do not project an agenda against a particular person or association. WWE legend Paul Heyman once shared Sherjeel’s work on his social media handle.

Sherjeel’s earliest memory of pro wrestling is watching Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Undertaker square off for the WWE Title in the main event of a pay-per-view in 1998. His favorite wrestlers are Randy Orton and Jeff Hardy. While he admires Orton for his character work as a heel, he looks up to Jeff because of his unique wrestling style and risk-taking ability.

If he could go back to the Attitude Era, Sherjeel would like to manage Ken Shamrock and be his mouthpiece. He feels Shamrock’s promo skills prevented him from becoming a main event-level act in WWE. Hence, he would like to help the UFC Hall of Famer get over with fans.

When not writing about pro wrestling, he likes to read classics and fiction books.

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Edited by Yash Mittal