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

[FLips]

Cena smiling before he tapped would have been a nice moment if not the fact we know John Cena is incapable of feeling human emotion.

[RedTwoster]

2 hours ago, MVP RULZ said:

The biggest question is whether Gunther was ultimately the right person to retire him but time will tell I guess on that front and whether it actually matters at all in a years time 

I suspect we’re going to see a lot more of this from Gunther, with AJ Styles on his way out, Brock Lesnar rumoured to be and potentially Chris Jericho too. I’m not really sure what you do with that, though - what could the pay-off be for someone constantly retiring people? 

They should have opened with the Sol Ruca match, rather than the disappointing no contest. She’s going to be an enormous star one day, she’s pretty remarkable. 

[Rockbus2]

Thought the Cena vs Gunther match was excellent. A story well told, simply and without fanfare. Gunther breaking character for a second as he and Cena climbed the ropes for the avalanche AA to smile at something Cena had said really was a lovely moment. Absolutely think the Cena tap was the right move. 

The farewell party was nice about from HHH centering himself as much as possible. 

Also a note to say that how 21 year old Leon Slater covered for the AJ notch without missing a beat shows his bright future more than any flippy floppy high flying. 

[LaGoosh]

1 hour ago, Rockbus2 said:

Gunther breaking character for a second as he and Cena climbed the ropes for the avalanche AA to smile at something Cena had said really was a lovely moment

[Chili]

Just thinking about they knew they had a year of Cena left, a year in advance knowing you can book an amazing final year for one of your biggest stars ever... and that's the year they mapped out for him.

[LaGoosh]

Nvmd

Edited December 14, 2025 by LaGoosh

[air_raid]

I wasn’t expecting that. I thought either Cena would just pass out or they might just let him win because sometimes it’s better to tell the story right, if the story deserves a happy ending, rather than always be smarky about who the win benefits booking wise. Did not expect the man who “never gives up” to finally acknowledge it’s over and give up, but I didn’t mind it. Though I wish they’d have shunned the obvious backslapping at the end and just closed with Gunther standing with one foot on a vanquished Cena.

Finishing Goldberg and Cena in the same year should really benefit Gunther booking wise but it’s come in a year where in between some big moments there’s been extended periods of doing absolutely nothing so I wonder where we go from here. I’d put money on his Mania going one of two ways - IF my longstanding prediction of Punk vs Cody and Reigns vs Rollins happens, they could finally do Gunther vs Lesnar. Or he could end up with something utterly underwhelming, I don’t think there will be a middle ground.

30 minutes ago, Chili said:

Just thinking about they knew they had a year of Cena left, a year in advance knowing you can book an amazing final year for one of your biggest stars ever... and that's the year they mapped out for him.

I don’t mean to defend them, but there was hardly any of this. The heel turn was decided upon very late between Rumble and Chamber, Rocks involvement in that show being arranged and announced 11th hour. Then whatever plans they then made had to change when they realised they couldn’t rely on Scott. Things must have changed on the fly three or four times.

3 hours ago, FLips said:

Cena smiling before he tapped would have been a nice moment if not the fact we know John Cena is incapable of feeling human emotion.

I was thinking this watching him try to well up at the end. Total sociopath.

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

5 hours ago, TheBurningRed said:

 

Had the majority of the show on mute. Who’s the big lady with Sol Ruca?

 

That would be Zaria, they’ve been paired up on NXT pretty much since she arrived. They started as an odd couple tandem but they’ve grown into best friends/pseudo couple (a tamer Toni Storm/Mina type deal)

[LaGoosh]

Our own @IANdrewDiceClay nailing my thoughts better than I can:

 

 

[Supremo]

Best thing to come out of this is the now very real possibility that Triple H will have watched Sting’s retirement in AEW and rather than thinking, “that was fucking incredible, me and Seth should be ashamed of ourselves for our work with Sting,” he will have genuinely rolled his eyes and declared, “that’s not how you do business…what about the time honoured traditions?!”

[FUM]

Not sure if it’s just my OCD or not but are the producers continually picking the wrong camera? I’ve noticed it loads when I’ve watched lately that they always seem to miss things. For example, Cena putting the camera on the cameraman who always does his entrance was a bit of a nice gesture and they didn’t click on till the last second. The crowd were already cheering for Oba Femi setting up a move on Drew before they zoomed out to see him. Minor details but I’ve noticed it with other things in WWE shows lately, it’s like they’re too slow on the button.

Anyway, OCD opinions aside - thought it was fine but it just didn’t have the emotional stuff it needed - mainly because it’s hard to look past the main character syndrome Triple H has. Had to narrate the video package at the start, had to stand on the apron like an idiot for ages at the end and point to a screen. He was always one of my favourite wrestlers, he’s an absolute nightmare now.

[DavidB6937]

I thought the show was pretty spot on apart from the finish. Agree that he could've passed out if they had to let him lose, but I feel like they could've had Gunther dominate and have Cena sneak a win out somehow. Send the fans home happy but give Gunther enough to spitball on throughout the future. A guy can be put over on the way out by Cena simply by working with him and looking good, like they did with some of the NXT lot. It's as much about opportunity than anything.

So yeah, definitely felt like the wrong call in that moment but might as well end on a low considering how the rest of it went. But they were damn close to wrapping it up well.

Now to see whether it was a one night rage by the fans present or if it's a more monumental fuck up. I'd guess because Cena wont be around now that they've probably got away with it but if I were HHH I'd get off camera for a while now. I know he tries really hard already though. Poor guy.

[2Xtreme_lives]

6 hours ago, TheBurningRed said:

He said he hasn’t tapped out in 20 years. I’m sure he tapped to Angle. And Benoit. Which is probably why they didn’t run through any names. 

Yeah 3 people have made him tap all before 2004. Angle, Benoit and Jericho

[herbie747]

12 hours ago, Kfogg1991 said:

I really believe this is absolutely his last match tonight.

😅 He's not retired. I hate to break it to you. 

 

I'm just glad this entire cringefest is over and it won't be clogging up the wrestling newsfeeds anymore. The entire thing has been so contrived and hammy.

[RIDDUM_N_STYLE]

No issues with the finish, I’m just finding it massively hilarious about how much crying the engagement farming accounts on X are doing about it. Dicey seems to be the only one on my feed keeping it 100%, everyone else is proving nothing more than acting like football/rugby/cricket fans crying for their team’s manager to be sacked after every bad result