John Cena's Farewell Tour: The Last Time Was Now

I never thought I’d write a post about John Cena, especially not one so positive. However, after I watched Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, I couldn’t stop thinking about how WWE ended the career of one of the greatest sports entertainer of all time. Cena didn’t lose in a fluke. He didn’t get screwed. He also didn’t go to sleep, but tapped out to Gunther’s infamous sleeper hold after a long, grueling battle, with a grim smile on his face.

From a storytelling perspective, this ending was brilliant.

John Cena Made History—Again

John Cena built his entire career on perseverance. He was the man who never quit, who overcame impossible odds and defeated everyone put in front of him. Having that man finally give up—not because he was weak, but because he had nothing left to give—is powerful. It’s tragic, poetic, and honest. It shows the cost of a lifetime spent fighting.

I’ve been watching professional wrestling for decades. Aside from genuine tragedies, I can recall only one other moment when an arena fell this silent after the bell rang: when Brock Lesnar ended The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak in 2014.

Years from now, no one will remember anything from this match. To be honest, it was rather boring. Although the competitors performed as usual, the match wasn’t a spectacle. It also wasn't an instant classic like John Cena’s last match against “The Phenomenal” AJ Styles at Crown Jewel 2025, in which both men performed finishing moves from many of their previous opponents.

People will not remember John Cena’s match against Gunther. What people will remember is the outcome, and especially the stunned faces in the crowd. They’ll remember the silence. That reaction wouldn’t have happened if Cena had won. A victory would have been comforting but forgettable. Instead, John Cena made history one last time.

John Cena Cemented Gunther’s Position

For 38-year-old Gunther, this win is monumental. Earlier this year, he sent Bill Goldberg into retirement. Now he’s done the same to John Cena. Besides all his other accomplishments, Gunther has cemented his place in history, too. Moreover, with those victories, “The Ring General” has effectively become the new “Legend Killer.”

The storytelling opportunities are endless. A clash with the original “Legend Killer”, Randy Orton, feels inevitable. And if rumors are true that Brock Lesnar may retire next year, Gunther would be the perfect last opponent. Few wrestlers today feel as credible—or as dangerous.

In a post match interview, Triple H agreed when he said Cena would “make somebody on the way out.” That’s exactly what he did.

John Cena Gave Back One Last Time

I never liked Cena’s “Superman” gimmick. It often made the shows too predictable. That's what makes John Cena’s retirement tour so strange. Setting aside the strange world title run as a heel, there were so many missed opportunities. The storytelling was also strange. Also, his Intercontinental Championship title run was just embarrassing. If they wanted to give him the one title he had never held, they should have done so much earlier and had him compete for the title several times.

What’s weird about Cena’s Farewell Tour is that he seems to have lost more matches this year than at the peak of his career. Ironically, a decade ago, fans booed Cena for winning too much. Now they booed because he had lost.

Am I surprised the crowd booed Triple H? Not at all. But does anyone seriously believe this ending happened without Cena’s approval? It was probably his idea.

No matter what you think about John Cena’s retirement tour, or the end of the man’s career: There’s no denying his love for the business—and for the fans.

For that, I salute John Cena.

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