John Cena Says He’s Happy to ‘Pass The Torch’ Ahead of Tonight’s WWE RAW at MSG

Former WWE Champion John Cena is set to wrestle his final match on Monday Night RAW in a few hours at the iconic Madison Square Garden.

Ahead of his final appearance on RAW, Cena appeared on ESPN’s First Take and reflected on the current state of WWE, claiming that there has never been a better time to be in the global wrestling juggernaut than currently.

The newly crowned Intercontinental Champion attributed this to WWE’s strong relationships with global platforms like ESPN and Netflix and what he described as the “biggest batch of gifted personnel in the ring.”

Cena said that the presence of so many gifted performers in the company is a major reason behind the veteran opting to step away from in-ring competition, as he feels that the company is in safe hands and that he is more than happy to pass the torch to “an extremely capable class” and leave fans with good memories of him rather than do bad work.

“There’s never been a better time to be in the WWE, and that’s from its relationships in the lens and its roster on the field. I think we have the most gifted and the biggest batch of gifted personnel in the ring. They are doing stuff right now I can never possibly think of, which is why it’s time for me to walk away. I still got a little bit in the tank, as you saw in those highlights. I’m 48, I still look good, I still feel good, and I have my health. But man, I’ve been there for 23 years, operating at a very high capacity and a very high level,” he said.

The 17-time World Champion continued:

“I really want to pave the way for the future, and I [would] rather go now and leave the memories with the audience, like, ‘Man, he always gave his all,’ than risk doing bad work. It’s been a great year, and [I’m] very happy to be able to pass the torch to what I think is an extremely capable class.”

.@JohnCena talks about his final match in Madison Square Garden ❤️

"There's never been a better time to be in the WWE. … Which is why It's time for me to walk away. … I'd rather go now and leave the memories … than risk doing bad work." pic.twitter.com/Grq3fJJmRc

— First Take (@FirstTake) November 17, 2025

John Cena is set to open tonight’s episode of WWE RAW. It will be interesting to see who he wrestles in front of what is expected to be a highly emotional crowd at MSG.

Please credit ESPN’s First Take and give an H/T to 411Mania for the transcription if you take quotes from this article.