Last night, wrestling fans across the world came together to watch the final match of John Cena at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event. In the hours following, however, they remain divided on the bout’s outcome, which saw Cena tap out to a sleeper hold from “The Ring General” GUNTHER.
In the eyes of TNA star and industry veteran Matt Hardy, Cena’s act of submitting is not a surprise as it aligns with a common standard for departing wrestlers. “A tap-out by a man who massively respects the time-honored traditions of pro wrestling. #ThankYouCena #SNME,” Hardy wrote on X, referring to the practice of retiring in-ring performers putting someone else over on their way out.
Regarding the sea of boos aimed at WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque during Cena’s post-match farewell ceremony in Washington, D.C., Hardy wrote, “It is what it is. The loud boo when HHH hugged John made me laugh. Knowing John, this was all his brainchild & his way of passing the torch & giving back. It was meant to elicit anger & give Gunther unprecedented credibility moving forward.”
Throughout his retirement tour, Cena has been vocal about his desire to give back to his fans and the WWE roster members that will continue on in his absence. The latter was especially apparent on Saturday Night’s Main Event itself, where three rising stars from “WWE NXT” and one from TNA Wrestling competed on the undercard. TNA-turned-WWE talent Joe Hendy also appeared, hitting a tandem Five Knuckle Shuffle with R-Truth. Meanwhile, GUNTHER, who retired Goldberg earlier in 2025, drew heat at several points throughout and after his match with Cena.
Read more: Every WWE Star Departure In 2025 So Far
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Read the original article on Wrestling Inc.
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