John Cena will retire from in-ring competition with WWE at the end of 2025, bringing an end to a career that has included winning 16 world championships.
Cena appeared at WWE’s Money in the Bank event in Toronto on Saturday night to reveal that he would embark on a farewell tour next year.
The 47-year-old said he would wrestle at the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber in early 2025 and also at the two-night extravaganza WrestleMania 41, which will be held in Las Vegas on April 19 and 20.
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Cena, who has competed in WWE on a part-time basis since 2018 with his acting career taking off, later said in a press conference that he would work between 30 and 40 dates up to December 2025.
He has headlined WrestleMania five times, including in 2012 and 2013 when he fought Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson on both occasions.
Cena last wrestled a singles match in November 2023 against Solo Sikoa although he teamed with The Miz and R-Truth in a six-man tag match against The Judgment Day in April of this year.
Check out 10-year-old Littler doing his best Cena impression as WWE invited the teenager to an event
Speaking on his farewell tour, Cena said: “I approached the WWE with this idea and they kind of initiated the talks that this would be a great span of time if we were ever going to do it.”
He hopes to continue in a non-wrestling capacity with WWE.
Cena’s film credits include Trainwreck, The Suicide Squad, Fast & Furious 9 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
He has also hosted Saturday Night Live and is currently starring in Peacemaker on HBO.
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Scotland’s Nico Carrillo reaffirmed his place at the top of the bantamweight Muay Thai rankings with an emphatic TKO win over former world title challenger Saemapetch Fairtex in the co-main event at ONE Fight Night 23 in Bangkok.
The ‘King of the North’ hunted Saemapetch from the opening bell and although the Thai star was a willing dance partner in the punching exchanges, he found himself in trouble late in the first round after a flurry of knees from Carrillo.
Things went from bad to worse in the second round, as Carrillo sent his foe crashing to the canvas after just 45 seconds.
The Scot then went straight on the attack and put Saemapetch back down with a thunderous left hook. The same punch did the damage once again shortly after, as Carrillo scored the third and decisive knockdown with another volley of heavy shots.
Image: Carillo dropped Saemapetch three times in the second round
Carrillo’s win not only cemented his No 1 spot in the divisional rankings, but it also bagged him a US $50,000 (£39,035) performance bonus, courtesy of ONE Championship chairman and CEO Chatri Sityodtong.
Even more importantly, the victory could lead him to the winner of the ONE bantamweight Muay Thai world title fight between defending champion Jonathan Haggerty and long-time rival Superlek Kiatmuu9 at ONE 168: Denver in September.
“I’m next, I’m undeniable. Mr Chatri, give me the title shot next,” Carrillo told ONE commentator Mitch Chilson during his post-fight interview. “Whoever wins that title in Denver, don’t get too attached to the gold because it’s coming right off you.”
Bampara Kouyate produced a stunning uppercut finish to beat Muay Thai contender Luke Lessei late in their three-round battle
Black Panther produced a stunning head kick KO to hand Ali Saldoev the first loss of his professional career
Rasulov overcomes Ok as British star Barboza wins
In the night’s headline attraction, Alibeg Rasulov upset former ONE lightweight MMA world champion Ok Rae Yoon in a grueling five-round battle.
The unbeaten 31-year-old pushed a relentless pace throughout the 25-minute contest. Ultimately, his clinch game proved too much for Ok, who never stopped trying to create space and get his trademark punches off.
It was a resounding statement made by Rasulov in his promotional debut.
Although he was ineligible to take home the title due to only making the weight after the official weigh-in window closed, he has surely caught the attention of two-division ONE world champion Christian Lee.
Image: British Muay Thai standout Ellis Badr Barboza triumphed in Bangkok
Also, British Muay Thai standout Ellis Badr Barboza captured a dramatic victory in a seesawing contest against Thai-Malaysian striker Aliff Sor Dechapan with a second-round knockdown enough to sway the judges’ scorecards.
Aliff started the catchweight contest brightly, largely controlling the opening round. Barboza, however, turned the tide in the second when he dropped his rival with a booming left hook.
In the final round, Aliff recognised he needed a knockdown of his own to wrest back the momentum, but Barboza hung tough in a back-and-forth finish to the match-up.
The knockdown proved decisive as the Birmingham native took the split-decision victory.
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ONE Friday Fights are back – and you can watch a free live stream of the latest big event from Bangkok with Sky Sports.
ONE Friday Fights 68 features 24 elite athletes competing in Muay Thai, MMA, and kickboxing at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in the Thailand capital.
In the main event, ONE strawweight Muay Thai world champion Prajanchai aims for two-sport gold as he faces former kickboxing kingpin Jonathan Di Bella for the vacant ONE strawweight kickboxing world title.
Also on the card, ONE flyweight kickboxing world champion Superlek takes face rising star Kongthoranee under Muay Thai rules, former ONE bantamweight kickboxing world champions Petchtanong and Alaverdi Ramazanov square off, and Pakorn debuts against Rafi Bohic in a battle between decorated Muay Thai world champions.
Watch all the action above from 1.30pm UK time.
All the heavy-hitting action and devastating knockouts from One Fight Night 18 in Bangkok
Conor McGregor has revealed an injured toe forced him out of the upcoming UFC 303 event on June 29, which he was scheduled to headline against Michael Chandler.
McGregor was meant to fight sixth-ranked lightweight contender Chandler, but the first indication that bout was in trouble was when his news conference on June 3 in Dublin was abruptly cancelled, with no immediate explanation provided.
The fight was called off last week, with UFC’s light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira drafted in to face top-ranked challenger Jiri Prochazka on the Las Vegas bill.
Welterweight champion Leon Edwards says the chance to fight Conor McGregor in the future would add to his ‘greatness’
McGregor insisted he had been “super ready” for his fight but an accident happened.
In a social media post, he said: “It is absolutely gut wrenching.
“We had a lapse in concentration and engaged in a training session without wearing the full protective gear and I hit the toe off the elbow and broke the toe clean. It needs a few weeks – that’s it.”
He added: “I couldn’t justify to my team, or fans, that I make the walk hindered again. That walk has been seen. This next walk has got to be, and it will be, 100 per cent Conor McGregor.
“The fans deserve it and we are getting close. A slight lapse in concentration and a nuisance of an injury was picked up. That’s it. Take the lesson and move forward. I will get this back.”
He maintains he will make a return to the octagon still, even if it doesn’t come against Michael Chandler.
“I’ve got two fights left on my contract,” he said. “I’m coming to shine. I got to just take my time.
“I’ll be back. See you soon. See you at the top. Chandler or not.”
Speaking on the MMA Club podcast, Jake Gyllenhaal reveals what it was like working with former UFC champion Conor McGregor on the set of their movie, Roadhouse
Losing McGregor, who has not competed inside the octagon in three years, marks a blow to the UFC. At 35, he is past his prime, but remains a strong attraction.
The UFC is at a crossroads, with stars such as McGregor, Jon Jones and Amanda Nunes either near the end of their careers or having already retired.
There is a group of younger fighters still building their fan bases that the UFC is counting on to lead the next generation.
The world’s largest martial arts organisation delivers another explosive night of Muay Thai and MMA action at Lumpinee Boxing Stadium in Bangkok – and you can watch a free live stream right here.
ONE Friday Fights 67 features 24 Muay Thai and MMA fighters who will compete for a chance to win a coveted six-figure contract with ONE Championship.
In the main event, Nakrob Fairtex collides with No 4-ranked flyweight kickboxing contender Tagir Khalilov in a Muay Thai banger. Nakrob has been near-flawless during his ONE Friday Fights tenure, but the Russian has shared the Circle with two dominant ONE World Champions and will present the Thai dynamo with his stiffest challenge yet.
The show will also feature fan favourite Kongklai Sor Sommai, Lethwei knockout artist Moe Htet Aung, and 20-year-old wrecking ball Tonglampoon FA Group. Plus, undefeated Vietnamese MMA rising star Tran Ngoc Luong and unbeaten 22-year-old British striker Otis Waghorn make their promotional debuts.
Click play on the live stream at the top of the page to watch the show…
The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s panel of three judges dismissed Lia Thomas’ request for arbitration with the World Aquatics governing body, in a ruling released on Wednesday; Thomas wished to overturn rules approved in 2022 that she felt were ‘invalid, unlawful and discriminatory’
Last Updated: 12/06/24 10:45pm
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas failed in her challenge against rules that stop her from competing in elite women’s races
Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas has failed in her challenge against rules that stop her from competing in elite women’s races.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport’s panel of three judges dismissed Thomas’ request for arbitration with the World Aquatics governing body, in a ruling released on Wednesday.
World Aquatics banned transgender women who have been through male puberty from competing in women’s races. It also created an ‘open’ category for which transgender athletes would be eligible.
Thomas had asked the sports court in Switzerland to overturn the rules approved in 2022 that she felt were ‘invalid, unlawful and discriminatory’.
Thomas swam for the University of Pennsylvania and won an NCAA title in meets that are outside the World Aquatics competitive system.
The world swim body argued to CAS that Thomas was not a member of its member federation USA Swimming when the legal case was started. She also had not competed in female events “for the purpose of qualification or selection” for World Aquatics competitions, such as the Olympics or world championships.
“The panel concludes that she lacks standing to challenge the policy and the operational requirements in the framework of the present proceeding,” the court said in its ruling.
In January the ruling said, USA Swimming granted her request for “self-identity verification” as part of its policy on athlete inclusion.
The judges said USA Swimming had no authority “to modify such scope of application” of the world governing body’s rules.
World Aquatics said it welcomed the CAS decision in a case “we believe is a major step forward in our efforts to protect women’s sport”.
“World Aquatics is dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes fairness, respect, and equal opportunities for athletes of all genders and we reaffirm this pledge,” the governing body based in Lausanne said in a statement.
Swimming’s policy on transgender athletes was followed by other top-tier Olympic sports, track and field, then cycling, in excluding from women’s events those who have potentially gained lasting physical advantages from male puberty.
The International Cycling Union noted last year “it is also impossible to rule out the possibility that biomechanical factors such as the shape and arrangement of the bones in their limbs may constitute a lasting advantage for female transgender athletes”.
Thomas was represented at CAS by Toronto-based Tyr, the legal firm that has represented two-time Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya.
Semenya is excluded from running in her specialist 800m event due to World Athletics rules on athletes with differences in sex development who have elevated levels of testosterone.
Thomas’s lawyer, Carlos Sayao, did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the CAS decision. The CAS judges declined World Aquatics request for Thomas to pay its legal costs and other expenses incurred in the case.
The judging panel included two of the highest-profile CAS arbitrators: Thomas selected Richard McLaren, the Canadian investigator who helped prove the Russian doping scandal at the Sochi Olympics; and World Aquatics chose Ulrich Haas, a German law professor who helped judge cases involving Manchester City and Grand Slam tennis champion Simona Halep.
The CAS panel was chaired by a Paris-based Spanish arbitrator Carmen Nez-Lagos.
Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson successfully defended her 800m title with victory at the European Championships in Rome.
Great Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson claimed the gold in the 800m at the 2024 European Championships in Rome, retaining the title she won two years ago in Munich.
The 22-year-old medal hope for the Paris 2024 Olympics won in a time of 1:58.65, beating Slovakia’s Gabriela Gajanova, who finished strongly to take the silver, and France’s Anais Bourgoin in third.
More to follow…
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Claressa Shields will not return to Britain for an MMA fight against Savannah Marshall, says the American star’s promoter Dmitriy Salita.
Marshall and Shields verbally agreed to resume their rivalry in the cage after the English fighter had marked her MMA debut with a first-round stoppage of Mirela Vargas at PFL Europe in Newcastle on Saturday night.
But Salita, who promotes Shields, has warned that she will not head back to the UK again after previously travelling to The O2 in London for a unanimous decision win over Marshall in their boxing bout in October 2022.
Marshall has admitted she is keen to reignite her rivalry with Shields
Salita told Sky Sports: “Claressa and Savannah’s rivalry is alive and well in every sport they compete in. Great fighters need rivalries to drive the sport forward.
“As women’s boxing grows, it’s empowering to see the enormous popularity of this rivalry.
“To be fair, Claressa already travelled thousands of miles to the U.K. to beat Savannah in her home country and avenge her only [amateur] loss.
Image: Savannah Marshall stopped Mirela Vargas in the first round at PFL Europe
“It relates to boxing, now the shoe is on the other foot, so Savannah has to come to the U.S. or possibly a neutral location.”
The duo are now set to trade strikes in MMA instead of boxing, but Salita remains confident that a rematch will happen in the ring.
But the immediate aim for Shields is becoming a four-weight world champion as she will challenge WBC heavyweight champion Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in Detroit on July 27.
“It is one of the biggest and truest rivalries in boxing, a women’s version of Leonard vs Hearns,” said Salita. “Both are at their peak, and I believe a rematch is in order.
“But first things first – Claressa vs Vanessa, a fourth division title fight on July 27 in Detroit at Little Caesars Arena.
Image: Shields will not be heading back to Britain, says promoter Dmitriy Salita
“We would like to invite Savannah to sit ringside, as Claressa has done for many of Savannah’s fights.”
After Queensberry’s 10-0 victory over Matchroom in the recent 5 vs 5 tournament in Saudi Arabia, Salita is keen to stage a tournament between his promotional stable and BOXXER.
“We have one of the best talent rosters in the sport of boxing, which I would be delighted to showcase in 5 vs 5 against BOXXER or anyone else.
“Ladies first – Claressa vs Savannah can top the card.”
Savannah Marshall dazzled on her MMA debut as she stopped Mirela Vargas in a frantic first round at PFL Europe in Newcastle on Saturday night.
Marshall was competing in the cage for the first time having made a step across to MMA after defeating Franchon Crews-Dezurn to become undisputed super-middleweight boxing champion in July last year.
An early acid test arrived in the form of multiple takedowns, from which Marshall recovered superbly to showcase her talents as one of the fiercest punchers in female boxing.
Marshall remained calm in the face of some troublesome early leg kicks, demonstrating her training alongside UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall to get back to her feet smoothly.
Her knockout exploits would soon prove too much for Vargas as she unleashed a vicious flurry of shots that forced the referee to bring the contest to a halt.
Image: Marshall walked out wearing a Newcastle shirt in front of her home fans
With long-time boxing rival Claressa Shields in attendance, Marshall wasted no time in reiterating her intentions to meet the American in the PFL.
“Are we getting it on in the cage or what?” Marshall said. “Let’s do it. Full MMA rules. Let’s go!”
Shields beat Marshall via unanimous decision when the two headlined the UK’s first televised all-female boxing card at The O2 in October 2022.
It capped a fiery build-up stemming from Marshall’s victory over Shields in the amateur ranks, which remains the latter’s only career boxing defeat to date.
Shields herself made the decision to dip her toes in the world of MMA when she made her PFL debut in 2021, since which she has amassed a record of 2-1.
Image: Marshall weathered an early storm to overpower Vargas
She is now scheduled to make her return in boxing by challenging Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse for the WBC heavyweight title in Detroit on July 27, setting her sights on becoming a four-weight world champion.
Marshall’s debut comes after just nine months of training in MMA, the 33-year-old not shying from repeatedly admitting that the prospect of facing Shields was a major factor in her decision to step across.
“These MMA fighters, you’ve got to be a little bit crazy to do this,” said Marshall.
“I’ve loved it, fight week, the training, the MMA community has welcomed me with open arms. It’s a tough sport and I take my hat off to anyone who does it.”
Johnson-Thompson’s coach Aston Moore: “Kat has developed a small niggle in her right leg and in light of the proximity of the Olympic Games we have chosen to bank what we have learned from this first day of competition and withdraw from the heptathlon”; Ireland win 4x400m mixed relay gold
Last Updated: 07/06/24 11:13pm
Great Britain’s Katarina Johnson-Thompson pulled out of the European Championships with a leg injury
Katarina Johnson-Thompson has withdrawn from the European Athletics Championships in Rome after three events of the heptathlon due to injury.
The reigning world champion was down in ninth place following the 100 metres hurdles, high jump and shot put and pulled out ahead of the final event of day one, the 200m.
“Kat has developed a small niggle in her right leg and, in light of the proximity of the Olympic Games, we have chosen to bank what we have learned from this first day of competition and withdraw from the heptathlon,” Johnson-Thompson’s coach Aston Moore said.
“We don’t want to risk losing any time from training which could be the result if she was to carry on competing with it for another day. We wish all the other competitors well for the rest of the competition.”
Johnson-Thompson ran 13.66 seconds in the hurdles, more than half a second down on her personal best, before clearing 1.83 metres in the high jump to move up to fourth place.
The 31-year-old could only manage a best of 12.44m in the shot put to slip to ninth, more than 300 points behind Olympic champion Nafissatou Thiam, who had cleared 1.95m in the high jump to take command of the competition.
Ireland claim gold in 4x400m mixed relay
The British quartet of Charlie Carvell, Hannah Kelly, Lewis Davey and Emily Newnham finished fifth in the final of the inaugural 4x400m mixed relay as Ireland’s Chris O’Donnell, Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr and Sharlene Mawdsley took gold ahead of home nation Italy.
Chris O’Donnell, Rhasidat Adeleke, Thomas Barr and Sharlene Mawdsley took gold for Ireland in the 4x100m mixed relay
On the track, Jemma Reekie had earlier led team-mates Georgia Bell and Katie Snowden into the women’s 1,500m final, while Elliot Giles and Thomas Randolph reached the men’s 800m semi-finals.
Morgan Lake also reached the women’s high jump final, while Lawrence Okoye finished eighth in the discus final with a best of 63.48m in the final round.
Italy had claimed the first medals of the championship with a one-two in the women’s 20km walk, where the drama was reserved for the battle for bronze.
Spain’s Laura Garcia-Caro looked to have secured third place and was already celebrating when she realised to her horror that she was about to be overtaken on the line by Ukraine’s Lyudmila Olyanovska.
