New York City erupts with ‘Thank you John Cena’ chants as he makes his final Raw appearance: ‘The champ is here’

John Cena makes his final appearance on WWE's Monday Night Raw held at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.

John Cena showcasing his Intercontinental Championship, (Photo: WWE)

Professional wrestler-actor John Cena has been one of the most polarising but inspiring figures in modern-day wrestling. He debuted in 2002 during WWE Smackdown and has since then had a mind-boggling career, winning 17 world titles and several others along the way. Cena recently made his final appearance on Monday Night Raw, which was hosted in New York City. A bittersweet moment quickly turned into an action-packed farewell as the Intercontinental Champion gave the audience a show to remember.

As soon as those trumpets hit, the whole of Madison Square Garden erupted with noise and cheers. John Cena walked out in new colours and addressed the crowd while thanking the city of New York and the fabled venue for giving him the opportunity to perform. He said, “Madison Square Garden allowed me to step on the stage of these hallowed halls for 23 years. Tonight there is a little extra enthusiasm in the air, because tonight is the last time we can talk together. Bittersweet moment for some, but it is a very important moment for me.”

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As John Cena continued to reminisce with the crowd, he was interrupted by Dominik Mysterio, the same man Cena defeated last week to become the Intercontinental Champion. Mysterio, playing his ‘heel’ character, accused Cena of getting an unjust opportunity at the IC title. To exact revenge, the wrestler brought out the rest of the Judgement Day group.

Along with Finn Balor and JD McDonagh, Dominik Mysterio started attacking Cena before being interrupted by Sheamus and Rey Mysterio. The following brawl resulted in a 6-man tag-team match, during which Cena, Sheamus and Mysterio all showcased their signature moves and even paid homage to each other by performing some finishers together.

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During a pre-event interview, Cena was asked about his feelings going into his final Monday Night Raw. The wrestler said, “I am ready to have a great show, and I don’t want to be in any other position. I don’t want to get lost in my own sauce. There are 16000 people out there, and I need to make sure they are happy. I will have plenty of time to self-reflect when I am done with this.”

John Cena is set to face Dominik Mysterio in the upcoming PLE (Premium Live Event) Survivor Series. The 17-time champion completed the revered WWE Grand Slam (winning all available titles) when he beat Mysterio during their first match. His last match will take place during Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, which will finally close out his farewell tour. During the same tour, Cena has once turned ‘heel’, turned back to a ‘face’ and has faced a number of formidable opponents such as Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, and AJ Styles.

The opponent for John Cena’s final match is currently being decided by The Last Time Is Now tournament. Rusev, Sheamus, Jey Uso, LA Knight, Solo Sikoa, and Gunther have already advanced to the quarterfinals, with 2 more spots left.

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