Saturday Night's Main Event XLII
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Get ready for an event that will etch its name in history. Saturday Night's Main Event XLII, also known as Saturday Night's Main Event: John Cena's Final Match, is coming to you live from the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. on December 13, 2025. This isn't just another episode of WWE's occasional television special; it's the 42nd installment, and it's making history by featuring talent from the NXT brand for the very first time.
But the real story, the one that will captivate the world, is John Cena's final match. After an incredible 26-year career, the legend himself will step into the ring for the last time. Who will have the honor, or the challenge, of facing him? That opponent will be determined by a thrilling tournament unfolding across all of WWE's programs. And that's not all – prepare for an epic clash as NXT wrestlers go head-to-head with members of WWE's main roster.
The journey to this monumental event began on July 6, 2024, when John Cena himself announced at Money in the Bank that he would be retiring from wrestling at the end of 2025. Fast forward to December 2024, and WWE revived the iconic Saturday Night's Main Event series on NBC, coinciding with USA Network's acquisition of SmackDown rights. Then, in August 2025, after Peacock lost the rights to WWE's main roster supercards in the US to ESPN, a significant shift occurred. Saturday Night's Main Event was announced to be moving exclusively to Peacock under a multi-year deal starting November 2025, with the December 13th edition serving as the grand finale for Cena's career.
This isn't just about one match; it's about the culmination of compelling storylines. On the Raw premiere on Netflix, January 6, 2025, Cena officially launched his retirement tour, declaring his intention to compete in the Royal Rumble to chase his 17th world championship at WrestleMania 41. Though he didn't win the Rumble, he earned an Undisputed WWE Championship match by winning the Elimination Chamber, ultimately capturing the title on WrestleMania Night 2. He held that championship until SummerSlam, and in his final active roster appearance on SmackDown, he narrowly missed out on the United States Championship. Then, on November 1st, at Saturday Night's Main Event XLI, the "Last Time Is Now Tournament" was announced to determine Cena's final opponent, kicking off on November 10th in Boston, Massachusetts, a stone's throw from Cena's hometown.
On that very Raw episode, Cena opened the show by announcing exhibition matches featuring NXT talent against main roster wrestlers. After an interruption from Dominik Mysterio, Triple H decreed that Mysterio would face Cena for the WWE Intercontinental Championship. In a historic moment, Cena won that match, capturing the Intercontinental Championship for the first time, achieving Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion status.
And now, the "Last Time Is Now Tournament" is underway. This 16-man competition will decide who steps into the ring with John Cena for his final battle at Saturday Night's Main Event XLII on December 13, 2025. Featuring competitors from Raw, SmackDown, and NXT, this tournament is already delivering unforgettable moments, all building to one of the most anticipated farewells in wrestling history.
Saturday Night's Main Event XLII, also promoted as Saturday Night's Main Event: John Cena's Final Match, is an upcoming professional wrestling event produced by WWE. It is scheduled to take place on December 13, 2025 from the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.. It will be the 42nd episode of WWE's occasional television special Saturday Night's Main Event and the first episode to include wrestlers from the NXT brand.
The event will feature John Cena's final match in his 26-year wrestling career, with his opponent being determined by a tournament being held across WWE's other programs. It will also feature matches between NXT wrestlers and members of WWE’s main roster.
== Production ==
=== Background ===
On July 6, 2024 John Cena announced at Money in the Bank that he would retire from wrestling at the end of 2025.
In December 2024, WWE revived its Saturday Night's Main Event series of specials on NBC as part of USA Network's acquisition of rights to SmackDown. In August 2025, after NBC's streaming service Peacock lost the rights to WWE's main roster supercards in the United States to ESPN, it was revealed that Saturday Night's Main Event would move exclusively to Peacock under a multi-year deal beginning in November 2025, with the December 13, 2025 edition featuring Cena's retirement match.
=== Storylines ===
The event will include matches that result from scripted storylines. Results will be predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands, while storylines are produced on WWE's weekly television shows, Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown.
During the 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 eponymous event on February 1 to try and earn an opportunity to win his 17th world championship at WrestleMania 41. He lost the Royal Rumble match, however, he won the Elimination Chamber match at the 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 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 Last Time Is Now Tournament, beginning on the November 10 episode of Raw in Boston, Massachusetts, near Cena's hometown.
On that episode of Raw, Cena opened the program by announcing a series of exhibition matches that would feature NXT talents against main roster wrestlers. After being interrupted by Dominik Mysterio, Triple H ordered him to face Cena for his WWE Intercontinental Championship. Cena went on to win the match, winning the Intercontinental Championship for the first time in his career and becoming a Triple Crown and Grand Slam champion in the process.
== Matches ==
=== The Last Time Is Now Tournament ===
The Last Time Is Now Tournament is an ongoing 16-man tournament that will determine who will face John Cena in Cena's retirement match at Saturday Night's Main Event XLII on December 13, 2025. The tournament began on the November 10 episode of Raw in Cena's hometown of Boston, Massachusetts and is featuring wrestlers from WWE’s Raw, SmackDown, and NXT brands.
== References ==
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