The event included matches that resulted from scripted storylines. Results were predetermined by WWE’s writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands,<ref>{{cite web|title=How Pro Wrestling Works|url=https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm|last=Grabianowski|first=Ed|date=January 13, 2006|work=HowStuffWorks|publisher=[[Discovery Communications]]|access-date=March 5, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129050844/https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm|archive-date=November 29, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Live & Televised Entertainment|url=https://corporate.wwe.com/company/events.jsp|work=[[WWE]]|access-date=March 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218142749/https://corporate.wwe.com/company/events.jsp|archive-date=February 18, 2009}}</ref> while storylines were produced on WWE’s weekly television shows, ”[[Monday Night Raw]]” and ”[[Friday Night SmackDown]]”.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/wwe-smackdown-live-usa-1201782569/|title=WWE’s ‘Smackdown’ Will Move To Live Broadcast On USA (Exclusive)|last=Steinberg|first=Brian|date=May 25, 2016|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=May 25, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160526113045/https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/wwe-smackdown-live-usa-1201782569/|archive-date=May 26, 2016}}</ref>
The event included matches that resulted from scripted storylines. Results were predetermined by WWE’s writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands,<ref>{{cite web|title=How Pro Wrestling Works|url=https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm|last=Grabianowski|first=Ed|date=January 13, 2006|work=HowStuffWorks|publisher=[[Discovery Communications]]|access-date=March 5, 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129050844/https://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/pro-wrestling.htm|archive-date=November 29, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Live & Televised Entertainment|url=https://corporate.wwe.com/company/events.jsp|work=[[WWE]]|access-date=March 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090218142749/https://corporate.wwe.com/company/events.jsp|archive-date=February 18, 2009}}</ref> while storylines were produced on WWE’s weekly television shows, ”[[Monday Night Raw]]” and ”[[Friday Night SmackDown]]”.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/wwe-smackdown-live-usa-1201782569/|title=WWE’s ‘Smackdown’ Will Move To Live Broadcast On USA (Exclusive)|last=Steinberg|first=Brian|date=May 25, 2016|website=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|access-date=May 25, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160526113045/https://variety.com/2016/tv/news/wwe-smackdown-live-usa-1201782569/|archive-date=May 26, 2016}}</ref>
At [[Money in the Bank (2024)|Money in the Bank]] on July 6, 2024, [[John Cena]] made a surprise appearance to announce his retirement from in-ring action at the end of 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mendoza |first=Jordan |date=July 6, 2024 |title=John Cena announces he will retire in 2025; WrestleMania 41 will be his last |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2024/07/06/john-cena-announces-retire-wwe/74319089007/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707023046/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2024/07/06/john-cena-announces-retire-wwe/74319089007/ |archive-date=July 7, 2024 |access-date=July 6, 2024 |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> During the [[Raw premiere on Netflix|”Raw” premiere on Netflix]] on January 6, 2025, Cena officially kicked off his retirement tour by announcing he would compete in the [[Royal Rumble match]] at the [[Royal Rumble (2025)|eponymous event]] on February 1 to try and earn an opportunity to win his 17th world championship at [[WrestleMania 41]].<ref name=”CenaFinalRumble”>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2025/01/06/wwe-john-cena-2025-royal-rumble-farewell-tour/77497369007/|title=John Cena announces he is entering 2025 Royal Rumble to kick off WWE farewell tour|date=January 6, 2025|last=Mendoza|first=Jordan|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=January 10, 2025}}</ref>. He lost the Rumble match but won the [[Elimination Chamber match]] at the [[Elimination Chamber (2025)|namesake event]] on March 1, earning an [[Undisputed WWE Championship]] match at WrestleMania. He would go on to win the title on Night 2 of the event on April 20, holding it until August 3 at Night 2 of [[SummerSlam (2025)|SummerSlam]] where he lost it. In his final ”SmackDown” appearance as a part of the active roster on September 5, he failed to win the [[WWE United States Championship]]. On November 1, at [[Saturday Night’s Main Event XLI]], it was announced that Cena’s final opponent at the Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII event on December 13 would be decided in the [[List of WWE tournaments#The Last Time Is Now Tournament|Last Time Is Now Tournament]], beginning on the November 10 episode of ”Raw” in [[Boston, Massachusetts]], near Cena’s hometown.<ref name=”SNMEXLI”>{{cite web|last=Powell|first=Jason|title=WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event results (11/1): Powell’s live review of CM Punk vs. Jey Uso for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2025/11/01/wwe-saturday-nights-main-event-results-11-1-powells-live-review-of-cm-punk-vs-jey-uso-for-the-vacant-world-heavyweight-championship-cody-rhodes-vs-drew-mcintyre-for-the-wwe-championship/|date=November 1, 2025|work=[[Pro Wrestling Dot Net]]|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref> On that episode of ”Raw”, Cena won the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship]] for the first time in his career, becoming a [[Triple Crown (professional wrestling)#WWE|Triple Crown]] and [[Grand Slam (professional wrestling)#WWE|Grand Slam champion]] in the process.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mendoza |first=Jordan |title=John Cena wins Intercontinental Championship, becomes a Grand Slam champion |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2025/11/10/john-cena-intercontinental-championship-grand-slam-champion/87199775007/ |access-date=2025-11-11 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref> Cena is scheduled to make his final ”Raw” appearance as a part of the active roster, on November 17, at [[Madison Square Garden]] in [[New York City]].{{clear}}
At [[Money in the Bank (2024)|Money in the Bank]] on July 6, 2024, [[John Cena]] made a surprise appearance to announce his retirement from in-ring action at the end of 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mendoza |first=Jordan |date=July 6, 2024 |title=John Cena announces he will retire in 2025; WrestleMania 41 will be his last |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2024/07/06/john-cena-announces-retire-wwe/74319089007/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707023046/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2024/07/06/john-cena-announces-retire-wwe/74319089007/ |archive-date=July 7, 2024 |access-date=July 6, 2024 |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> During the [[Raw premiere on Netflix|”Raw” premiere on Netflix]] on January 6, 2025, Cena officially kicked off his retirement tour by announcing he would compete in the [[Royal Rumble match]] at the [[Royal Rumble (2025)|eponymous event]] on February 1 to try and earn an opportunity to win his 17th world championship at [[WrestleMania 41]].<ref name=”CenaFinalRumble”>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2025/01/06/wwe-john-cena-2025-royal-rumble-farewell-tour/77497369007/|title=John Cena announces he is entering 2025 Royal Rumble to kick off WWE farewell tour|date=January 6, 2025|last=Mendoza|first=Jordan|work=[[USA Today]]|access-date=January 10, 2025}}</ref>. He lost the Rumble match but won the [[Elimination Chamber match]] at the [[Elimination Chamber (2025)|namesake event]] on March 1, earning an [[Undisputed WWE Championship]] match at WrestleMania. He would go on to win the title on Night 2 of the event on April 20, holding it until August 3 at Night 2 of [[SummerSlam (2025)|SummerSlam]] where he lost it. In his final ”SmackDown” appearance as a part of the active roster on September 5, he failed to win the [[WWE United States Championship]]. On November 1, at [[Saturday Night’s Main Event XLI]], it was announced that Cena’s final opponent at the Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII event on December 13 would be decided in the [[List of WWE tournaments#The Last Time Is Now Tournament|Last Time Is Now Tournament]], beginning on the November 10 episode of ”Raw” in [[Boston, Massachusetts]], near Cena’s hometown.<ref name=”SNMEXLI”>{{cite web|last=Powell|first=Jason|title=WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event results (11/1): Powell’s live review of CM Punk vs. Jey Uso for the vacant World Heavyweight Championship, Cody Rhodes vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship|url=https://prowrestling.net/site/2025/11/01/wwe-saturday-nights-main-event-results-11-1-powells-live-review-of-cm-punk-vs-jey-uso-for-the-vacant-world-heavyweight-championship-cody-rhodes-vs-drew-mcintyre-for-the-wwe-championship/|date=November 1, 2025|work=[[Pro Wrestling Dot Net]]|access-date=November 1, 2025}}</ref> On that episode of ”Raw”, Cena won the [[WWE Intercontinental Championship]] for the first time in his career, becoming a [[Triple Crown (professional wrestling)#WWE|Triple Crown]] and [[Grand Slam (professional wrestling)#WWE|Grand Slam champion]] in the process.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mendoza |first=Jordan |title=John Cena wins Intercontinental Championship, becomes a Grand Slam champion |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/2025/11/10/john-cena-intercontinental-championship-grand-slam-champion/87199775007/ |access-date=2025-11-11 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref> Cena is scheduled to make his final ”Raw” appearance as a part of the active roster, on November 17, at [[Madison Square Garden]] in [[New York City]].
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<!–Please do not add any matches you may have heard on the internet or during taping without a reliable source, such as the company’s official website or other reliable websites; instead, use the scratch space on the talk page. –>
