John Cena has responded to fan inquiries regarding the decision to hold his final WWE match in Washington, D.C., rather than his hometown area of Boston, Massachusetts. During an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, the 17-time World Champion explained that the logistics of booking the venue were largely out of his hands.
‘Way Beyond My Control’
When asked why the historic event wasn’t scheduled for TD Garden in Boston, Cena emphasized that he does not have authority over the company’s touring schedule. He joked that if he did have that power, the location would be much closer to his current home.
“That’s way beyond my control. I don’t book the live event calendar, if it was up to me, every match would be in Tampa,” Cena said.
Logistics And Availability Hurdles
Cena elaborated on the complexities of routing a live event tour, noting that venue availability plays a major role in these decisions. He pushed back against the idea that the company could simply choose the “perfect” location without considering logistical realities.
“You never know, I don’t know if (TD Garden) was available. That’s the thing, ‘Man, it would be perfect,….for you, like you don’t know the routing, you don’t know the live event hurdles that they have to go through,” Cena explained.
A Year Of ‘Lasts’
Cena highlighted that his farewell tour has allowed for multiple significant “final” moments in various cities, rather than just one goodbye. He listed several key venues that hosted his final appearances throughout 2025.
“Then, you can get a bunch of ‘last of’s. The last SmackDown in Chicago where I started, the last time in TD, the last time in MSG, my last Raw, my last Premium Live Event or pay-per-view in San Diego, and then of course the last match,” Cena stated.
Cena’s final match is scheduled for Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., streaming live on Peacock. His opponent will be determined tonight on Friday Night SmackDown in the finals of the “Last Time Is Now” tournament, featuring Gunther vs. LA Knight.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Bill Simmons Podcast with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can listen to the full interview on The Ringer podcast network.
