Name of John Cena's final WWE show possibly revealed by Kurt Angle (Exclusive)

Modified Apr 15, 2025 12:39 GMT

16-time WWE world champion John Cena [Image Credit: wwe.com] — 16-time WWE World Champion John Cena [Image credit: wwe.com]

John Cena plans to retire from WWE in-ring competition at the end of 2025. In an exclusive interview, Kurt Angle shared a rumor he heard about the name of his former rival's final WWE Premium Live Event.

On April 20, Cena will challenge Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41. After booking his ticket to The Show of Shows, the 47-year-old stunned fans at Elimination Chamber on March 1 by turning heel. He also formed a villainous alliance with The Rock and rapper Travis Scott.

Speaking to Sportskeeda Wrestling Senior Editor Bill Apter, Angle joked that Cena's heel turn might have looked different in Vince McMahon's creative era. He also revealed that Ruthless Aggression could be the name of the 16-time World Champion's last WWE show.

"I don't know," Angle said when asked how Vince McMahon would have booked Cena's heel turn. "I mean, it might have been more extreme [laughs]. I don't know, to be honest with you. I think they did an incredible job. John Cena, he's gonna be immortalized when he retires. I mean, his last match, whether it be at WrestleMania or whether it be at a pay-per-view in December, which I heard some rumors that they might call the pay-per-view Ruthless Aggression." [2:48 – 3:19]

Cena lost his main roster debut against Angle on the June 27, 2002, episode of SmackDown. Before the match, the then-rookie told his opponent he possessed "ruthless aggression" and slapped him in the face. The term Ruthless Aggression became synonymous with Cena and defined WWE's era from 2002 to 2008.

Kurt Angle thinks John Cena will regain fans' support

Although John Cena is a bad guy right now, it has been widely speculated that he could turn babyface before retiring.

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Kurt Angle, a successful babyface and heel during his 21-year pro wrestling career, is convinced his legendary former opponent will be a fan favorite again:

"That might be his last pay-per-view, and I think it's brilliant the way they turned him heel because eventually they're gonna turn him good guy and [in] his last match the fans are gonna go crazy for him." [3:20 – 3:30]

WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H recently confirmed he came up with the idea to turn Cena heel. Before Elimination Chamber, the Hollywood star had not performed as a bad guy in two decades.

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About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart