Considering how recent years have gone, wrestling fans likely expected John Cena’s matches at WrestleMania 39 and Money in the Bank 2023 to be the culmination of his return to the WWE ring in 2023, not to mention his most recent SmackDown appearance showing love for Edge hitting his 25th anniversary with the company. But then he was confirmed for a match the upcoming WWE event Superstar Spectacle, and now we know he’ll actually be around in a big way for the next two months in full. What’s more, Cena and the powers that be found an amazing way to make his return all the more special.
Cena’s semi-permanent return (or more-than-temporary return if that wording is preferred) will kick off very soon, on the September 1 edition of SmackDown, and will carry on for another seven installments, as noted in the rundown below, which also includes the Superstar Spectacle date.
- Friday, September 1 – Giant Center in Hershey, PA
- Friday, September 8 - GMC Balayogi Indoor Stadium - Gachibowli, India (Not a SmackDown, but the 2023 Superstar Spectacle)
- Friday, September 15 – Ball Arena in Denver, CO
- Friday, September 22 – Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ
- Friday, September 29 – Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA
- Friday, October 6 – Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO
- Friday, October 13 – BOK Center in Tulsa, OK
- Friday, October 20 – AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX
- Friday, October 27 – Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI
Wrestling fans now have nine different chances to catch John Cena live, with tickets for all or most events already available for ordering through Ticketmaster. And those events will be beyond special for a select group of audience memebers.
John Cena's forever life-affirming partnership with Make-A-Wish is at the heart of the WWE's announcement, which states that the foundation will give children and their families the chance to attend each of the aforementioned SmackDown events in person. No further details were shared on that front, as I'm sure those plans still need to be put in place, but it's definitely an awesome way to make Cena's WWE comeback all the more meaningful and memorable.
The WWE and Make-A-Wish have been working together to help enrich the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses for 40 years now, with a multitude of Superstars taking part in making dreams come true throughout the decades. John Cena himself is particularly noteworthy in this context, as he's currently the most requested wish-granting celebrity of all time, and has thus granted the most Make-A-Wish requests of anyone, with over 650 kids.
For those who can't wait to see John Cena live and whooping up on his opponents in person, a Peacock subscription is where the majority of his career can be enjoyed in highlight form, while a Hulu subscription is where to find his latest acting work, via the not exactly critically beloved comedy sequel Vacation Friends 2.
