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Can Fans Expect to See John Cena at WrestleMania 40?

Will John Cena, one of the greatest Superstars of all time, compete at the biggest WrestleMania ever?

By Chris Phelan
John Cena smiling in the ring

WrestleMania 40 is less than a month away, and fans worldwide are currently buzzing over whether one of the greatest WWE Superstars of all time, John Cena, will make an appearance at the historic event!

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Unless you've been living under a rock this week, you've undoubtedly noticed that the 16-time WWE champion has been all over the news lately, thanks to his unforgettable "nude" stunt at the 2024 Oscars. Although he's been a household name in Hollywood for years now, it seems that the name "John Cena" is on the lips of more people than ever lately. This newfound popularity (as if Cena's popularity could get any bigger in the first place) has caused the WWE Universe to openly wonder if doors have been opened for Cena to appear at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia.

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As luck would have it, Cena has publicly alluded to his WrestleMania status multiple times in the past week alone! Let's dive in and get every man, woman, and child up to date on the latest John Cena news.

Will John Cena Be at WrestleMania 40?

John Cena throwing up the peace sign while in the ring

The rumor mill started buzzing during a particularly memorable appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon – both host and guest were suitably hyped up when discussing WWE's next Premium Live Event

At one point, Cena helpfully explained the date and location of WrestleMania 40, much to the chagrin of the WWE Universe.

"It's April 6, Philadelphia – I know exactly where it is," Cena said slyly. "I mean, I'm free that day, I'm just saying!"

Wow, John, when you put it like that, why wouldn't you be at WrestleMania in Philadelphia?

On the March 12 edition of The Drew Barrymore Show, John Cena clarified his comments about his WrestleMania 40 availability. In true Cena fashion, he used as many metaphors as possible to explain his current situation:

"I'm kind of waiting for my invite," he confessed. "Unfortunately, it's like, I don't have a prom date, so I have no one to go to prom with. I haven't been asked to go yet. That's OK. That's alright. I have not yet found a golden ticket in my chocolate bar, so I guess I have to keep eating chocolate bars to find a golden ticket."

A prom reference and a Willy Wonka reference? That's impressive.

Although he couldn't confirm or deny his WrestleMania availability, Cena nevertheless admitted that he's left WWE in a better place than when he found it, which is something he's intensely proud of.

"It's the 40th installment of WrestleMania and that gives me a tremendous joy and happiness, because the event is bigger than it's ever been," he explained to Barrymore. "I believe you should leave a place better than when you found it, and I think I've done that. [It] brings my heart so much joy to see the event in the place that it is now."

In short, although Cena has alluded to appearing at WrestleMania, it seems he's keeping this specific information close to his (massive) chest. Fair enough.

When Was John Cena's Last WrestleMania Appearance?

John Cena Month2

John Cena actually competed at last year's WrestleMania and challenged Austin Theory for the United States Championship. Ultimately, Cena was defeated by the brash Superstar – although at many points in the match, it seemed that the wily veteran had Theory beat.

With all due respect to WrestleMania 39, last year's event cannot compare to the grandiose spectacle that will be WrestleMania 40. Shouldn't the most significant event in WWE history include arguably the greatest Superstar of all time appearing during it? We sure think so – and we're confident the WWE Universe supports our wholly optimistic attitude.

Perhaps most telling is John Cena's appearance on First Take last week. 

When pressed for information about whether he'd compete at WrestleMania 40, the future Hall of Famer gave a candid response:

"I'm crossing my fingers."

It looks like the ball is firmly in WWE's court, but in the meantime, we'll be crossing our fingers, too.

You can tune in to Peacock to watch WrestleMania on April 6 and 7. In the meantime, catch up on all things WWE Universe on Peacock.

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