John Cena Name-Dropped During TNA Slammiversary Countdown Show

John Cena’s name came up at TNA Slammiversary, even though the retiring WWE star was nowhere near the building. During the pre-show countdown ahead of the pay-per-view, commentators Matthew Rehwoldt and Tom Hannifan joined Director of Operations Daria Rae to preview the night’s main card matches. While the trio was breaking down the Ultimate X Match for the X-Division Championship, Rehwoldt worked in a reference to the 16-time world champion.

The moment was a notable nod given the timing. Cena announced earlier this year that 2025 would mark his farewell tour in WWE, making his name culturally top of mind across the wrestling world as fans track his remaining appearances. The X-Division and its signature Ultimate X Match have long been cornerstones of TNA’s identity, so a pre-show discussion of that bout drawing a broader wrestling reference isn’t entirely surprising — though the Cena mention stood out enough to get fans talking.

Rehwoldt, a former NXT and SmackDown commentator who has settled in comfortably as part of TNA’s broadcast team alongside Hannifan, has never been shy about pulling in pop culture or cross-promotional references to color a point. Whether this one lands as a compliment, a comparison, or simply a piece of commentary flavor, the clip quickly made the rounds on social media following Slammiversary.

With TNA continuing to build momentum heading into the back half of 2025, moments like these — however brief — help keep the promotion part of the wider conversation in a crowded wrestling landscape.