John Cena wrestled his first WWE match in Boston on July 2002.

Twenty-three years later, he wrestled his last, saying farewell to a packed house at WWE’s Monday Night Raw at the TD Garden.

“I had one last request,” said Cena, who plans to wrestle his final match on Dec. 13. “I wanted to come to Boston one last time.”

With only three dates remaining in his WWE career, Cena is wrapping up an illustrious run in professional wrestling. A native of West Newbury, he has become an industry legend, standing on wrestling’s Mount Rushmore beside Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and The Rock.

Cena’s relationship with wrestling fans was no summer romance, but rather a long-lasting marriage. There were ups and downs – he was cheered, booed, and elicited nearly every other reaction imaginable. Yet people were never indifferent toward Cena, who always knew how to generate a response from those in the crowd, especially back home in Boston.

“We’ve been to Brussels, we’ve been to London, we went to Perth – I just wanted to come to Boston,” said Cena, rattling off his travel itinerary over the past six months. “I saw my first WWF show in the old Garden, and it means everything to me to stand in TD Garden and feel the magic in the air.”

John Cena Sr., who is Cena’s father, beamed with pride as he took in the action at the Garden. A devoted pro wrestling fan, Cena Sr. instilled the same passion within his four sons.

“The only reason we had cable TV back when the boys were young was to watch professional wrestling and bring [announcer] Gordon Solie into our house,” said Cena Sr., 81. “Pro wrestling was the way we bonded.”

In addition to his father, Cena’s grandfather Felix was also a wrestling fan. Naturally, the proud Italian’s favorite was Bruno Sammartino.

“My father got sick and never got a chance to watch John wrestle,” said Cena Sr. “He would’ve loved to have watched John in the ring. John was also very close with my mother Catherine. But she had a hard time watching him wrestle. I can still hear her saying during one of his matches, ‘Tell them to stop hurting him!’ Then she’d turn to me and say, ‘Tell me he’s all right!’”

Cena’s fame far exceeds what he has accomplished in WWE. His wrestling success helped catapult his acting career – the second season of Peacemaker just aired on HBO – and he continues to find new ways to give back. Cena has set the standard for individual visits with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which is a lasting part of his legacy.

“I’m damn proud of my son,” said Cena Sr. “He left wrestling better than he found it.”

Cena, 48, also played an instrumental role over the past two decades in the WWE locker room. When fellow wrestler TJ Wilson suffered a career-ending spinal cord injury in 2015, it was Cena who helped keep Wilson’s spirits up during the bleakest of times.

“John is a good friend and a great person,” said Natalya Neidhart, who is Wilson’s wife. “When TJ got injured, John was the one who took the time to reach out. When TJ was recovering, John would call and talk with him. He’d even take us out for dinner. The injury was very emotional and traumatic, but John made TJ felt heard.”

Neidhart was at the Kowloon in Saugus Monday signing copies of her new book, The Last Hart Beating. And she is eager to see how Cena wraps up a one-of-a-kind career.

“What he does in the ring is incredible,” said Neidhart. “The audience still connects with him.”

Over the past year, Bronson Rechsteiner has also built a relationship with John Cena. Poised to become WWE’s next breakout star, Rechsteiner – who wrestles as Bron Breakker – is grateful for the advice Cena goes out of his way to offer.

“It’s been an honor to learn from him,” said Rechsteiner. “He’s a quality human being, and he makes himself approachable. We’ve developed an open line of communication, and I can’t say enough about him.”

Wrestling Cena before he retires is an opportunity Rechsteiner would relish.

“There aren’t too many chances left, so it wouldn’t be something I would take lightly,” said Rechsteiner. “If I get that chance, I’ll be ready.”

Staking his claim as the greatest to ever perform in the ring, Cena wrestled Dom Mysterio in Boston to open Raw. He won the match, winning the Intercontinental Championship – completing a “Grand Slam” of WWE championships – and did so with a flair unlike any other. In a celebration filled with pyro and euphoria, Cena wrapped a belt around his waist one last time.

And then he was gone.

“To look up at the rafters and see the banners in this building, surrounded by friends, family, and loved ones,” said Cena. “I can stand in this ring and say thank you.”