There you have it. The pro wrestling in-ring career of John Cena is over.
A WWE career that started with yelling “ruthless aggression” and slapping Kurt Angle across the city of Chicago, ended with a submissive smile before tapping out to Gunther in the main event of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13.
A forgotten purpose?
Cena had the Washington D.C. audience in the palm of his hand from the moment he made his entrance. So much so that by the end of the match, the audience appeared to forget just what in the hell Cena was trying to do with his year-long retirement tour in 2025.
Yes, John Cena had to lose his final match. Apologies if that bums you out, but if you couldn’t see a loss for Cena coming here, you weren’t paying good enough attention.
When John Cena announced his retirement at the Money in the Bank PLE in 2024 and began his subsequent retirement tour at the Royal Rumble in January, it was clear that he was aiming to have an abnormal retirement from pro wrestling.
From The Takedown on SI
Wrestlers rarely leave the business on good terms. It just never seems to work out that way. Especially for upper tier stars in massive companies like WWE. Ego rears it’s head. Money interferes. Typically, the business wins out and prevents true retirements for top stars.
Bruno Sammartino didn’t get one. Hulk Hogan didn’t get one. Steve Austin didn’t get one. At that level, it just doesn’t happen. Except for John Cena. And that makes sense because he’s always been an oddball in the world of pro wrestling.
Of course John Cena can leave WWE on good terms. He’s the WWE guy! He’s the corporate WWE guy that helped make the company into the juggernaut it is today. He was safe when WWE needed safe.
Understand John Cena’s career
To think Cena would leave the company that he represented for over two decades without giving back to it in the biggest way possible is misguided and shows a misunderstanding of Cena’s career.
The 2025 retirement tour was setup for John Cena to give back. Throughout the year, he traveled the world to give back to fans who wanted to see him one last time. He gave back to WWE because they printed money with all the ticket sales, merch, and social media buzz that Cena generated. And yeah, he gave back to himself. During 2025, Cena lined his pockets with checks that showed off plenty of zeros. After years on the road and a banged up body because of it, Cena used the retirement tour to do a little business for himself. Nothing wrong with that.
Because giving back was the theme of The Last Time Is Now, Cena tapping out and losing his final match was necessary. In that moment, he gave back too. Not for money, not for the fans, and not for the company. For the wrestling industry.
In losing to Gunther the way that Cena did on Saturday night, he left a mark on the industry that will keep rolling forward long after his retirement is forgotten. He left a lasting impression and its an impression that will help elevate the industry without him stepping inside the ropes.
Cena impacts future of WWE with a retirement match loss
The artistry of wrestling? Yeah, he left that in a good place. In the final match with Gunther, Cena reminded the world what the best pro wrestling formula is. A clear heel. A clear babyface. The audience goes wild. Simple. His retirement was all of that wrapped together with a nice little bow.
Social buzz? Check. The world is already talking about whether or not Cena losing his retirement match was the right idea. They are debating about Gunther and if he was the right choice to get the ultimate rub.
Business? No worries. Cena won’t make an impact on WWE with a regular presence. Gunther will. Gunther is going to be talking about retiring John Cena for the next decade. It’s a key ingredient in a recipe for heel heat and will setup strong feuds with Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, Roman Reigns, and other top WWE stars.
When it’s time to become a babyface, Gunther retiring Cena will matter in a different way. There’s a credibility that comes with it. Gunther can’t fully leverage that until he is beloved by the WWE audience, but that time is coming eventually.
Cena hands a pair of WWE kingdom keys to Gunther
When Gunther is a babyface, that merch money for WWE? It’s generated by him. Tours around the world for adoring fans? That’s his job. Gunther takes over and it’s on the back of what John Cena did in his final match.
Gunther won’t be carrying WWE into the future alone. Cody Rhodes will be there. Dominik Mysterio will be there. Brock Lesnar will be there — at least for a little while. Cena lost to all those guys this year too. It’s business.
Is John Cena the true G.O.A.T of WWE? No. He isn’t. He really isn’t, but he matters a lot and is an all-time great. That greatness matters a little more because he went out on his back.
What did you think of John Cena’s WWE retirement? Let us know in the comments!
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