Summary

Leon Slater has opened up about what it was like to be part of John Cena's retirement show in December 2025. Cena's final match took place at Saturday Night's Main Event, a bout against Gunther, and Cena personally selected a group of wrestlers to appear alongside him that night. Slater was among those chosen, competing in a match that also featured AJ Styles, Dragon Lee, and Je'Von Evans.

Speaking with SunSport, Slater described the day as something he still has trouble fully processing.

Quote from Leon Slater

"I'll see clips from that night of like John [Cena] being stood in the ring, putting his armbands, his sneakers and I was like, bro, I was stood right there! It almost feels like a fever dream, but it was real. That whole day was just magical. For the match, I couldn't have asked to be around better people. AJ [Styles], who's one of my absolute idols. Then Dragon [Lee], another super hungry, young guy that's been smashing it and I used to watch his work when he used to wrestle all over the world. Then obviously, having Je'Von [Evans], one of my best friends as my partner was another dream come true."

Slater, Cena, and the Weight of a Single Night

Being handpicked by Cena for that final show carries real weight for where Slater is in his career. He is one of the younger talents on the WWE roster who has drawn attention for his high-flying style, and landing a spot on one of the most-watched WWE events of 2025 puts him in a different conversation. The fact that Cena selected him personally is its own form of endorsement.

Styles is a meaningful name to drop here too. AJ Styles has spoken about taking on a talent development role with WWE since stepping back from in-ring work, and his presence on that card alongside Slater suggests the younger talent is already operating in circles that matter inside the company.

Sources

As reported by Fightful.