WWE has released the first trailer for WWE: Unreal Season 3, which will chronicle John Cena’s 2025 retirement tour and final year as an in-ring performer. The new episodes are set to debut on Netflix on July 21, 2026. Cena, a central figure in WWE for more than two decades, shared his reaction to the preview and reflected on his final year in the ring and the memories it created.
In a statement on his X account, Cena said the final year of his wrestling career was filled with unforgettable moments. He said he was looking forward to seeing how WWE: Unreal portrays that period and the perspective it offers on his farewell tour. The season is expected to give viewers behind-the-scenes access to Cena’s concluding run and the atmosphere around his departure from active competition.
The 2025 tour brought major milestones: Cena captured a record-setting 17th world championship and embarked on his first sustained heel run in more than two decades. His matches featured established WWE names such as CM Punk and Randy Orton, alongside newer stars Logan Paul, Cody Rhodes and Dominik Mysterio. The tour concluded on December 13, 2025, at Saturday Night’s Basic Event 42 in Washington, D.C., where Gunther was chosen as Cena’s final opponent.
Gunther defeated Cena by submission with a sleeper hold, ending a year-long farewell that also included a high-profile retirement-match victory over Goldberg in July 2025. The result closed Cena’s active WWE career and marked a major moment in Gunther’s rise as the “Ring General.” After the match, WWE personnel and wrestlers, including Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, came to the ring. Rhodes and Punk presented Cena with the two major men’s championship belts. The closing scene was later commemorated in a one-of-one Topps trading card.
Later reflections added a personal dimension to the decision to retire: Cena said he would have preferred to keep wrestling, while also discussing the physical demands of continuing and whether doing so would be fair to his partner. His farewell carries more significance than a planned final match, even as the new season’s announced focus is his last year and the memories he says it created.
The first two seasons of WWE: Unreal are available on Netflix and follow major WWE storylines and personalities. Cena’s farewell is likely to draw interest from wrestling fans and viewers following the evolution of sports entertainment. WWE’s collaboration with Netflix reflects the growing role of streaming platforms in bringing sports and entertainment stories to global audiences.
Cena’s career has spanned multiple championships and headline events, alongside crossover appearances in film and television. His retirement from in-ring competition marks a impressive change for WWE as the company continues to shape its roster and storytelling for a changing audience. By revisiting his final year, WWE: Unreal Season 3 places his legacy within professional wrestling’s continuing intersection with mainstream media and digital platforms.
