"Tonight I officially announce my retirement from the WWE," he told fans in Toronto who reacted with surprise and later chanted "thank you Cena".
"What an incredible gesture of kindness," he replied.
Wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the words "The Last Time is Now" and his trade mark "jorts" [denim shorts], he thanked WWE fans for "letting me play in the house that you built for so many years".
In a press conference later, he said he intended to remain part of the WWE family in some capacity despite feeling "at my end" physically.
Cena made his acting debut in 2006 when he starred in The Marine, going on to land roles in a number of big budget films including The Suicide Squad, Fast & Furious 9 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
The star has performed in WWE part-time since 2018 when his acting career took off.
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