See John Cena Tap Out to End Wrestling Career in WWE Retirement Match
“The Greatest of All Time” submitted to Gunther to close his illustrious career in the ring on Saturday
John Cena looks on during Saturday Night’s Main Event at Capital One Arena on December 13, 2025 in Washington DC. Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images
John Cena fought in what he promised was his final WWE match Saturday, with the wrestler tapping out to end his illustrious career in the ring.
Back in July 2024, Cena made the stunning announcement that he would retire from the WWE in 2025, with his appearance at WrestleMania in April his last time wrestling in that event. His retirement tour continued sporadically throughout this year, culminating in “The Last Time” he took the ring Saturday, for a match versus Gunther in the Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII in Washington, D.C.
Cena’s wrestling career was celebrated in a celebrity-filled tribute video featuring the likes of Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Jimmy Fallon, and Jelly Roll. “John Cena, the legendary, never seen 17 [championships]. Man, thank you for all these years,” Jelly Roll said in the video. “Thank you for the inspiration. Thank you for being the role model that we all needed. You deserve this, brother. Congratulations, happy retirement.”
The farewell match itself ran for nearly 25 minutes, with the usual ebbs and flows of a WWE match, with Cena showcasing his repertoire one last time. However, the match ended — to the dismay of fans who were chanting “Don’t give up!” — with Cena losing by submission after Gunther put him in a sleeper hold.
After the match, Cena, “the Greatest of All Time” according to WWE, remained in the ring, soaking in the crowd’s chants of “Thank you Cena!.” “It’s been a pleasure serving you for all these years. Thank you,” Cena said as WWE wrestlers both current and retired gathered outside the ring. Two current WWE champions, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk, symbolically presented their belts to Cena before a tribute video was shown to the Capitol One Arena crowd.
As always with retired wrestlers, it’s possible Cena might still participate in WWE events albeit outside the ring. However, for the time being, he’ll focus entirely on his acting career, which currently includes Peacemaker, Matchbox, and recent surprise cameos in both The Bear and Pluribus.
From Rolling Stone US.
