John Cena to Host WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas

John Cena, the retired WWE superstar and 16-time world champion, announced on Monday that he will return to the promotion as the official host for both nights of WrestleMania 42, set for April 18 and 19, 2026, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Cena shared the news via a video on his social media accounts while filming a Netflix movie titled "One Attempt Remaining" in Hollywood. "Since retirement, my road has looked a little different but now I can officially say I'm headed to WrestleMania!!!! See you in Las Vegas!" he wrote, adding in the video, "Hollywood is close to Vegas... Rumor around this town is WrestleMania needs a host. Well, I'm already on that road. So I will see you at WrestleMania."

The announcement comes less than four months after Cena's in-ring retirement in December 2025. He concluded his career at Saturday Night's Main Event in Washington, D.C., where he tapped out to Gunther in a sleeper hold during their match. Cena's farewell tour, dubbed "The Last Time Is Now," featured a main event victory over Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 to claim his 17th world championship, but it emphasized elevating younger talent, including appearances by wrestlers like JeVon Evans.