Cena honored Lesnar and AJ Styles without saying a word
Summary
– John Cena acknowledged Brock Lesnar’s retirement with a captionless Instagram post
– Cena shared an image featuring himself, Lesnar, and AJ Styles touching fists
– All three WWE legends ended their in-ring careers within several months of one another
John Cena acknowledged Brock Lesnar’s retirement with a wordless tribute to one of his greatest rivals. Shortly after Lesnar confirmed the end of his in-ring career, Cena shared an image on Instagram featuring himself, Lesnar, and AJ Styles touching fists.
Cena did not include a caption or explanation with the post. However, its timing and the three wrestlers represented in the image made its meaning clear.
Cena, Styles, and Lesnar all ended their legendary careers within several months of one another. Each performer helped shape their generation and shared memorable matches with the others during some of WWE’s most significant periods.
Cena completed his retirement tour in December 2025 when he faced GUNTHER at Saturday Night’s Main Event. GUNTHER won the match by submission, officially bringing Cena’s decorated in-ring career to an end.
Styles followed at the 2026 Royal Rumble after accepting a career-threatening rematch against GUNTHER. His defeat ended a career that had taken him around the world and established him as one of WWE’s biggest stars.
Lesnar became the latest member of the trio to retire after losing to Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell at SummerSlam. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Lesnar confirmed that the match was his final appearance inside the squared circle.
Lesnar began his professional wrestling career in 2000 and quickly became one of WWE’s most dominant attractions. His accomplishments included multiple world championships, Royal Rumble victories, WrestleMania main events, and ending The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak.
His success extended beyond professional wrestling. Lesnar captured the UFC Heavyweight Championship and became one of the few athletes to reach the top of both WWE and mixed martial arts.
Cena and Lesnar shared one of WWE’s most memorable rivalries. Their history stretched from Lesnar’s original rise in 2003 to his return match at Extreme Rules in 2012 and his dominant victory over Cena at SummerSlam in 2014.
Cena also produced several acclaimed matches with Styles, including their WWE Championship encounter at the 2017 Royal Rumble. The captionless image connected three careers that repeatedly crossed paths at the highest level.
With Cena, Styles, and Lesnar now retired, the photo represents more than a tribute to one performer. It captures the conclusion of an era led by three of professional wrestling’s most accomplished stars.
