For more than two decades, WWE superstar John Cena lived by a pair of
three-word mottos: “Hustle, loyalty, respect”
and “Never give up.” Across nearly 25
years, he granted hundreds of Make-a-Wish requests, served as the undisputed
face of WWE, and crafted a heroic legacy that spanned multiple generations of
fans.
In July 2024, Cena announced that he would
retire at the end of 2025, breaking the hearts of millions of wrestling fans.
Yet the announcement also sparked immediate intrigue. Who would Cena face on
his way out? Old rivals? Dream matches? A final spotlight on rising talent?
Few could have predicted what followed.
Cena’s 18-match retirement tour featured
several notable moments: a second-place finish in the Royal Rumble, a victory
inside the Elimination Chamber, and the most shocking development of all: his
long-awaited heel turn. After years of fan speculation, Cena finally embraced
the dark side, aligning himself with The Rock and Travis Scott, stunning the
wrestling world by delivering a low blow to Cody Rhodes at the conclusion of
Elimination Chamber.
For years, fans begged to see the company’s white
knight bend the rules but Cena always resisted, determined to preserve his
family-friendly image. When it finally happened, it felt historic - although
the storyline ultimately lacked follow-through once Dwayne and Travis unexpectedly
vanished from television.
Still, the heel turn opened the door for fresh
matchups for a few months. Cena squared off against top babyfaces including
Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Sami Zayn, and longtime admirer R-Truth. Along the way,
he broke Ric Flair’s long-standing world championship record, capturing a
historic seventeenth title. But without meaningful direction, Cena’s villain
run always felt temporary and quickly ran out of steam, not to mention that
fans continued to cheer him despite his dastardly deeds. Entertaining as it
was, it seemed inevitable that he would finish his career the way he started it
- as a hero.
Eventually, he did pivot back to his old, righteous
character. After a brief, almost abrupt redemption, the WWE Universe welcomed
him back with open arms. Cena closed out his tour with strong performances with
and against familiar foes like AJ Styles, Sheamus, and Rey Mysterio. He even
defeated Dominik Mysterio to capture the Intercontinental Championship - the
only major title that had eluded him - officially making Cena a Grand Slam
Champion in the twilight of his career.
His final opponent was decided via a 16-man
“Last Time Is Now” tournament featuring WWE and NXT talent, along surprise
appearances from ex-WWE stars Zack Ryder and Dolph Ziggler. From early on,
rumors pointed toward Gunther as the scripted winner. Gunther, who returned
from an injury that kept him out of action for several months, had already
established himself as a multi-time champion and recently retired Goldberg in
the summer of 2025, and a probably “career ender” reputation wouldn’t be an
unrealistic angle.
For some fans – myself included - that outcome
felt potentially underwhelming. Cena’s final match seemed better suited for a
long-standing rival like Randy Orton or The Miz, or even an impossible dream
opponent like Edge, who is currently contracted by WWE’s main rival, AEW. But
the rumors proved true. Gunther won the tournament and earned the right to face
John Cena in his retirement match at Saturday
Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C.
The match itself was fine. It wasn’t a
highlight-reel classic like Cena’s bout with AJ Styles, nor was it a one-sided
demolition like his loss to Brock Lesnar. As the tour progressed, Cena showed
signs of slowing down - precisely the reason he chose to retire while still
capable. He wasn’t bad; he was simply no longer prime Cena. Against a methodical opponent like Gunther, that
worked. The slower pace fit the moment.
The crowd was firmly in Cena’s corner, louder
and more unified than perhaps any audience of Cena’s storied career. There seemed
to be a genuine belief that he could pull off one last victory.
Industry tradition suggests otherwise.
Retirement matches are often about passing the torch, and legends typically go
out on their backs, looking up at the lights. Ric Flair did it. Kurt Angle did
it. Batista did it. The Undertaker did it. Goldberg lost consciousness in his
last match with Gunther. That’s just how wrestling works.
But John Cena felt different. It felt like
maybe - just maybe - WWE would let us see Cena’s hand raised one last
time.
In the episode or two preceding Saturday
Night’s Main Event, Gunther promised he would make Cena go against
everything he preached; he promised to make Cena give up.
That idea alone felt wrong. The man whose
entire career was built on “Never Give Up” was not going to tap out. Not in his
final match.
Throughout the bout, Cena delivered his
signature offense - the Five Knuckle Shuffle, the “five moves of doom,” and
multiple Attitude Adjustments, including one through the announce table and
another from the middle ropes. Gunther kicked out every time. He fought back
relentlessly, chopping Cena down and repeatedly locking in the sleeper hold - the
same move that ended Goldberg’s career.
Surely they weren’t going to make John Cena submit.
…Right?
As the match wore on, Cena struggled to stay
upright, narrowly escaping defeat multiple times. The crowd roared, chanting
“Don’t give up!” and unleashing venom toward Gunther, urging their hero onward.
But time and time again, Gunther cinched in that sleeper hold, and Cena
started to fade. Finally, in a moment that will be talked about and debated for
years to come, John Cena smiled.
And then, softly, he tapped out.
John Cena gave up.
This just felt wrong. Cena didn’t look overpowered. He didn’t look completely
out of gas. He just looked tired - disappointed, even. Sad. The moment felt
symbolic, as if Cena were quietly acknowledging, “My time is over. The job is done.”
This week on his social media accounts, Cena
posted a captionless image of Obi-Wan Kenobi smiling just before being struck
down by Darth Vader. The comparison spoke for itself.
The crowd, meanwhile, was stunned into near
silence as Gunther’s hand was raised. A smattering of applause followed - more out
of appreciation for Cena than appreciation of the moment itself - but it hardly
resembled the sendoff WWE likely envisioned. Wrestlers soon filed to the ring,
led by WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque, who was met with
loud boos and profanity-laced chants. The tonal shift was jarring: from Cena’s
shocking defeat to Triple H laughing and grinning as he gestured toward the
video board, where a triumphant highlight package of Cena’s career began to
play.
Fans could do nothing but watch in disbelief
as the curtain fell on an unrivaled career during a moment that should have
felt triumphant but simply didn’t.
Yahoo! Sports journalist Ariel Helwani addressed Cena’s retirement on his podcast, The Ariel Helwani Show, pushing
back against the familiar argument that this was “what wrestling tradition
demands”:
“People will say, ‘This is what John wanted - he
wanted to give back to the business.’ And to that I say that’s nonsense. That
ideology belongs to wrestling in the ’70s and ’80s, not the era we’re living in
now. Who wanted to see John Cena lose again and again in his final months? And
not only does he lose his retirement match, but the guy who told us for over 20
years to never give up loses by submission. The match never should have been
Cena vs. Gunther, and it sure as [expletive] never should have ended with Cena
tapping out.”
Helwani also suggested that WWE may as well have told its audience, “You want this? Well, here’s the exact opposite.”
During the match, fans loudly chanted “Super Cena,” a nickname once used
mockingly by detractors who resented his seemingly invincible booking. On this
night, however, the chant carried nostalgia and affection. The fans were trying
to will him to victory. And what they received in return was a version of John
Cena who abandoned the very mantra that defined his career, tapping out and
exiting with a whimper.
Bleacher Report echoed that frustration,
criticizing Cena’s retirement run as a whole and calling it a program that
“largely missed the mark,” citing inconsistent storytelling, the failed heel
turn, and a lack of meaningful payoff. What should have been a legacy-defining
farewell instead became a wave of nostalgia filled with squandered
opportunities.
The larger problem for WWE is that moments
like this tend to linger with its audience. Last weekend, fans in Washington
were taunting Gunther for having tapped out to Jey Uso at WrestleMania last
April; there is little chance they’ll forget that he ended John Cena’s
career via one of the most pathetic-looking tap-outs of all time.
WWE may be comfortable doubling down on the idea that this was “best for
business,” and to Gunther’s credit, his character thrives in hostility. But
Cena’s farewell wasn’t supposed to be about solidifying Gunther as a star. It
was supposed to be about John Cena.
At a time when WWE is steadily pricing fans out of live events and television
programming, the company had a chance to give its audience something simple and
rare: a joyful goodbye. A victory lap. A final image worthy of the man who
carried the brand for a generation.
The fans deserved better. John Cena deserved better. Instead, WWE chose an
ending that undercut the very values its biggest star spent decades promoting.
I know it’s all part of the show - but for once, wouldn’t a happy ending
have been enough?
Hustle, loyalty, respect. Never give up… unless it’s the final match of your
career and the script says otherwise.
*****
The Bitter Pill is an ongoing series containing my thoughts on moments that make me wonder why I even watch sports (even the pre-determined ones) in the first place. For a nice jog down Pain Boulevard, read the other posts
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Until next time.
