John Cena
The wrestling world stood still at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. After a legendary 24-year career, the 17-time World Champion John Cena retires. However, the storybook ending had a shocking twist. In front of a stunned audience at Saturday Night’s Main Event, Cena did something he hasn’t done in over 20 years. He tapped out.
Gunther Forces a Submission to End an Era
Cena faced Gunther, a two-time Heavyweight Champion and arguably the most dominant force in modern wrestling. Fans hoped for one final victory, but the match told a different story. It was a brutal, back-and-forth war. Gunther overwhelmed Cena early, but the “Doctor of Thuganomics” rallied behind deafening crowd chants.
The intensity skyrocketed quickly. Cena executed his signature Five Knuckle Shuffle and an Attitude Adjustment (AA), nearly securing the pin. Gunther kicked out and applied a sleeper hold. Cena escaped, and the brawl spilled outside the ring. In a massive spot, Cena reversed a move to put Gunther through the commentary table with another AA. Back inside, the drama peaked. Cena hit an Avalanche AA from the top rope, sparking “Super Cena” chants. Yet, Gunther survived. After a relentless series of powerbombs and submission attempts, Gunther locked in a final sleeper hold. With nowhere to go, John Cena retires on his own terms by tapping out.
A Hero’s Farewell: WWE Stars Honor the Legend
The aftermath was pure emotion. The locker room emptied as superstars like CM Punk and Cody Rhodes presented their titles to honor the GOAT. Triple H gifted him a commemorative video, but Cena skipped the speech.
Instead, he left his boots and wristbands in the center of the ring. He walked up the ramp, saluted the camera, and vanished. From his 2002 debut against Kurt Angle to main-eventing WrestleMania six times, Cena defined a generation. He leaves as the greatest of all time, closing the curtain on a match—and a career—that fans will never forget.
