WWE Saturday Night's Main Event: John Cena's Final Match

[herbie747]

38 minutes ago, kieranjennings said:

Or, playing devils advocate, he's just accepting that this is it 'I'm Done' and is at peace with it whilst ending the match and his career. That's surely what he was going for with it. 

That's one way to view it, but that doesn't track with his "never give up" mantra when he gives up with a big goofy grin on his face, without being in any visible pain, without trying to fight the choke, and without looking like he was about to go unconscious - his eyes were wide open.

Maybe I'm nitpicking but I think the smile was really stupid. If it's a choke, go unconcious and let the fan's cheers wake you back up by chanting your name. 

[TheScarlettChad]

Cena no selling his retirement is on brand for him. He no sold fucking losing the world title and being fired fifteen years ago. I'd be upset if he did sell it to be honest.

[Chili]

I've only just seen that footage of Triple H on that panel trying to spin it. Brilliant stuff, going on about how it was the right decision. So we know it's bollocks and that's fine, but you're trying to be all meta and 4D nuanced about the bollocks. So he lost yeah, but that's because of YOU? Yeah... Ok. So he could have won, but you felt he should lose and even though we know this, is it a great idea to talk about it on TV. We know again, yes, it's all bollocks, but this is a bit too much 'its all bollocks, but isn't my vision amazing! Enjoy the ride guys'. Everything on TV or not revolves around his 'genius' and his big HGH head. It's like that shit Russo used to pull in WCW 2000 about scripts and nonsense. It's gonna be great whenever he gets sacked. 

Edited December 15, 2025 by Chili

[WyattSheepMask]

Finally got round to watching the show.

Oba Femi, while still a little green, has massive potential to be a big star.

Cole on Chuck Zito - “my friend, I haven’t seen him in years”. Zito has been in the crowd at least three times in the last 6 months, he’s appeared more than some wrestlers this year.

Ruca/Bayley and DragonStyles v Slater & Evans were fine for what they were.

Really enjoyed Cena/Gunther up until the finish with John and his big goofy grin, and of course shy little wallflower Triple H is the first person out there post-match.

[Handsome Tex Hardcastle]

I enjoyed HHH getting it from the crowd more than I should have. Deep down I know its an isolated case of an emotionally invested crowd getting worked up because theyre not going home happy. That being said, I cant help but feel that the reaction might have been more charitable had the proceeding 12 months not been a crock of shit. 

There's definitely been a palpable shift in sentiment lately that feels more significant than the garden variety grumbling thats ever present in some corners of the Internet.  If you're paying hundreds if not thousands of dollars for a ticket most people will want to enjoy themselves more than they'll want to exercise a grievance, but I think its only a matter of time before that sense of discontent begins to impact how sections of the live audience behave. 

He's always going to do whats best for the business, because he cant default to his usual routine and say that ticket buying fans arent representative of the audience and that live event crowds arent "real life". He might even go full circle and find some solace in the fact that there are scores of middle-aged malcontents like me on social media who didnt mind the finish and are willing to accept that its a time honoured tradition.

[Callum1993]

21 hours ago, Supremo said:

All I can see with the last one is:

 

 

[SuperBacon]

Sorry for linking Twitter but John's getting shout outs from all over.

Hustle.

Loyalty.

[Kfogg1991]

Christ I was off saying it was going to be a defining end wasn't i.

I completely understand his decision to do the job on the way out but like that couldn't be worse completely killed the crowd and doing it with that unbelievable face and half arsed tap was the perfect bow on the most fumbled open goal they've had since the start of the millennium legitimately dumb execution.

[TheScarlettChad]

41 minutes ago, Kfogg1991 said:

Christ I was off saying it was going to be a defining end wasn't i.

I completely understand his decision to do the job on the way out but like that couldn't be worse completely killed the crowd and doing it with that unbelievable face and half arsed tap was the perfect bow on the most fumbled open goal they've had since the start of the millennium legitimately dumb execution.

THE most fumbled open goal in the last twenty five years? I can think of a few more in fairness.

[SuperBacon]

2 hours ago, Kfogg1991 said:

half arsed tap

I don't understand the moaning about this, this is genuinely how most people would tap. I don't need to see Cena smashing his palm against Gunther to show me hes given up. 

A futile, acceptance of a tap works so much better than that in my opinion. It shows he's finally accepted its over.

[BomberPat]

Jeff Jarrett tweeted that it was the worst finish in the history of the business, and on his podcast really laid into the "time-honoured tradition" explanation - his point was that Cena isn't leaving the territory, and that if there is a "time-honoured tradition" it's that you finish up your programme with the babyface going over. It's an interesting different take, and worth listening to if you can bear Conrad Thompson for that long.

The best part of the podcast, though, is that other wrestler/podcasters were asked their opinion - while Flair and Bischoff both said it was terrible, Tony Schiavone said, "I've no idea, you couldn't force me to watch it at gunpoint, I hope everyone had a nice time".

[RedTwoster]

17 hours ago, Kfogg1991 said:

Christ I was off saying it was going to be a defining end wasn't i.

I completely understand his decision to do the job on the way out but like that couldn't be worse completely killed the crowd and doing it with that unbelievable face and half arsed tap was the perfect bow on the most fumbled open goal they've had since the start of the millennium legitimately dumb execution.

I think that’s a massive overstatement - and I also don’t think it’s stupid, it very much depends on what they plan to do next. The question for me really was whether or not there was any value in giving this to Gunther - Dominik Mysterio beating Cena in his last match would have been sensational, and would also have lifted Dom to that next level as far as his position on the card goes. It boggles my mind that they can have someone as over and entertaining as Dom, yet they have a weird reluctance to elevated him, favouring the blandness of people like Rollins and Gunther.

Having said that, although I have found Gunther to be bland recently outside of his matches, I thought he was excellent on Monday. 

[Supremo]

John Cena gives his reasoning for smiling before tapping out to Gunther:

“For the last five minutes, everything I preach about story and drama and having a conversation with the audience… the ones I love are in the front row. I know my colleagues are watching on the monitor back there. We're just in a Sleeper Hold, man, but we're having that conversation with the audience.

As I essentially take my last breath, I have struggled. If you think of somebody, the natural causes scenario or however we picture loss in our life, all of us have been through it. They struggle. They hang on just long enough to make sure to say goodbye to everybody that's been meaningful in their lives.

And that whole day was so many unbelievably vulnerable, meaningful conversations. And then you realize, I've connected with everybody I love. Physically, I feel great. I think it's time to take that last breath. And that's that. I hate to keep going back morbidly to obituaries, but like… this person died peacefully.

And knowing that like, man, we are in a good place. We’re going to be great going forward. The bottom of the t-shirt says ‘I gave everything, thank you for everything.’ And in that one moment, that was that. Going peacefully.”

(What Do You Wanna Talk About?)

Cheers, John. Because famously, the best type of art requires a post-show DVD extra that explains the intent and tries to justify why everyone was wrong for how they felt in the moment.

It’s actually the most perfect way for John Cena to retire. The android just repeating the very basic, obvious thought process behind it, rather than admitting it didn’t work or trying to understand why it didn’t connect or satisfy on an emotional level. Human not understand. Human wrong. Protocol correct.

[air_raid]

Late to this party but…

15 hours ago, SuperBacon said:

A futile, acceptance of a tap works so much better than that in my opinion. It shows he's finally accepted its over.

Yes. And I didn’t have any problem with Cena having an understated smile to himself as he realises “There’s no way out. I’m not winning. I’m cooked.” and giving up rather than let the villain lord it over his completely unconscious body. Totally fine with that logic.

On 12/15/2025 at 10:02 AM, herbie747 said:

That's one way to view it, but that doesn't track with his "never give up" mantra when he gives up with a big goofy grin on his face, without being in any visible pain, without trying to fight the choke, and without looking like he was about to go unconscious - his eyes were wide open.

Maybe I'm nitpicking but I think the smile was really stupid. If it's a choke, go unconcious and let the fan's cheers wake you back up by chanting your name. 

Yeahhhhh but… why should he? He’s accepted the loss in his last match. I’ve seen plenty of people “give up” for the last six months before retirement in the 9-5 grind. I think it made John look (here comes some irony) more human in going “Ahhh, fuck it” in his last match. He ran out of fucks to give and decided he wants to go home for a brew and watch Countdown in his booty slippers. Good for him.

[JNLister]

Just to confirm, Cena is pointing to things written on his t-shirt as justification for a finish in which he intentionally and actively gave up?