John Cena to Appear on Final WWE SmackDown of 2022 (EXCLUSIVE)

Publish date: 2024-07-18

John Cena is returning to WWE to close out the year.

Variety has learned exclusively that the iconic professional wrestler and actor is set to appear on the final “SmackDown Live” of the year on Dec. 30, which will take place at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. According to an individual with knowledge of the situation, more announcements are planned for the episode in the coming weeks.

This will mark Cena’s second appearance in WWE in 2022, as he previously returned to the sports entertainment giant in June during an episode of “Monday Night Raw” to celebrate his 20 year anniversary with the company. He did not wrestle a match during that appearance, but rather spoke in the ring about his time with WWE while also appearing in backstage segments.

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In terms of working in the ring, Cena most recently embarked on the “Summer of Cena” tour in 2021, which culminated in a celebrated match against WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns at the annual “SummerSlam” pay-per-view in August 2021.

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Cena has had a busy few years in his acting career, most notably starring in the title role of the DC series “Peacemaker” at HBO Max in 2022. The series saw him reprise the role he played in James Gunn’s “Suicide Squad” film. The show was well-received upon its release with a second season on the way.

2022 also saw the release of the political film “The Independent” on Peacock and the comedy feature “The Bubble” at Netflix, with Cena having starred in both films. Next up, he will be seen in films like “Fast X” and “Coyote vs. Acme.”

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