John Cena became the Franchise Player of
WWE through his hardwork, perseverance, and Never Give Up attitude. However, many have alleged that The Cenation Leader had also used his backstage influence and power to step on other rising talents for his own good. One of those stars was Kenny Dykstra, who debuted in WWE in 2006 as part of the Spirit Squad.
He was in a real-life relationship with wrestling legend Mickie James in the late 2000s. However, rumors began to swirl about her affair with Cena, who was the top star at the time. This led to Cena allegedly sabotaging Dykstra's career by having him transferred from RAW, where Cena and James were part of, to SmackDown, and then having him released from WWE. Moreover, in an exchange on X, Dykstra had confirmed the same and also claimed that James got all the success due to her affair with the Never Seen 17.
However, things did not end well for her either, as Dykstra said Cena had turned down James' hopes for a serious relationship and went on to marry his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth Huberdeau, in 2012. This led to Mickie James being moved to SmackDown and insulted on television, including the infamous Piggy James storyline, and eventually being released in 2010.
John Cena retired from WWE in 2025
John Cena's illustrious career came to its conclusion at the end of 2025. His farewell tour saw him wrestle his final match against Gunther at the December edition of WWE Saturday Night's Main Event. The Never Seen 17 put up a valiant effort against The Ring General and brought the fight of his life. However, Gunther's raw power and strength proved too much for Cena, and the end of the bout left the audience.
Cena had survived multiple sleeper hold attempts by Gunther; however, he kept coming back and locked him in one last time. Cena tried to break free, but as soon as he realised the end was near, he had a smile on his face and tapped out. While it was heartbreaking to witness, there was a huge applause for Cena by fans and WWE superstars who came out afterwards. The Champ left his shoes and armbands in the ring and left the arena with the final salute to millions who watched his last match.
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