John Cena marked the complete of a celebrated wrestling career with a gesture of camaraderie, sharing a toast and shots with his WWE colleagues after his retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December 2025, a moment witnessed by rising star Oba Femi.
Femi, a two-time NXT Champion who recently debuted on the main roster and competed in the 2026 Royal Rumble, described the scene backstage as a display of humility from the Hollywood actor and wrestling icon. “A lot of people don’t understand this, but after the show, John came back to the locker room with all the boys and he shared one last toast and took shots with us,” Femi recounted on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast. “I’m glad that I got to be a part of that. It really showed how humble he was, no matter how big he got in WWE or in Hollywood, he was, at his core, still one of the boys. So respect to John.”
The event was designed, in part, to showcase emerging talent alongside Cena, according to reports. Femi, along with Je’Von Evans, Sol Ruca, Cody Rhodes, and Bayley, were featured on the card. Prior to his final match, Cena had also made several visits to the WWE Performance Center, offering guidance to NXT wrestlers.
Femi revealed that Cena had already established a rapport with him before the retirement bout, providing advice on connecting with the audience. “He’s very big on ‘seem at me’ moments,” Femi explained, referencing a well-known story about Cena instructing Cesaro to interact with a fan holding a beach ball. “He encouraged me to, when the opponent is down, I should always take my time to interact with the crowd and do something that will be memorable to them so they can always remember me.” Cena understood the quick-paced style of NXT, fostered by Shawn Michaels, but emphasized the importance of creating lasting moments with fans.
Although Femi expressed regret that a match against Cena never materialized, he acknowledged the symbolic weight of the occasion. “It’s very symbolic that John’s end is my beginning, and that fact I kind of enjoy,” he said. “I really wanted to work with John. I was really hoping and praying that like, ‘Don’t go, don’t go too fast.’ But he did.”
Femi has not yet been assigned to either Raw or SmackDown following his move to the main roster.
