John Cena To Make Another WWE Apperance After Hosting WrestleMania 42?

John Cena To Make Another WWE Apperance After Hosting WrestleMania 42?

Fresh off hosting both nights of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, John Cena took to X to hint at something in the works for Backlash weekend in Tampa on May 9.

“I might have business at WWE Backlash,” Cena wrote. “Alas, the years pass. I am still gonna try to do something epic in Tampa for 5/9. I promised Club WWE something special… stay tuned.”

Whatever he is planning for Tampa will not involve in-ring competition, which aligns with his December retirement from active wrestling. The specifics of what he has promised Club WWE members remain unknown, but the language he used — “something epic” — indicates it is more than a casual appearance.

Cena retired from in-ring competition after losing to Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December before returning to WWE television as the host of WrestleMania 42.  The Backlash card itself has undergone notable changes since WrestleMania 42.

The previously planned tag team match pitting Pat McAfee and Randy Orton against Cody Rhodes and Jelly Roll has been pulled from the show. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, McAfee opted out of the angle following the negative fan reaction to his involvement in the Rhodes and Orton WrestleMania 42 program, which was itself a direction driven by TKO CEO Ari Emanuel rather than WWE creative.