After more than 20 years in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), John Cena’s legendary in-ring career came to an end on Saturday as he wrestled his final match at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Cena’s long-awaited swan song headlined the final WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event of 2025.
His retirement has been known for over a year now, and following a tour that allowed him to say goodbye all across the globe, Cena came to the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. for his last match at Saturday Night’s Main Event special on Peacock to square up against Gunther.
Gunther won a tournament for the right to be Cena’s final opponent, and then he promised, as a man who respects tradition and vows to protect the sanctity of pro wrestling, he would make the man who never gives up do just that.
Cena’s final match ended with him tapping out to Gunther after a brutal, violent, touching, nearly 24-minute contest. The crowd was electric for the entirety of the match, cheering Cena on, hoping to will him to a victory that would have defied the history of the industry.
Cena leaves WWE in a better place, partially evidenced by the entire card we saw on Saturday night, which ceded the spotlight to showcase young NXT talent on what could have easily been a two-hour appreciation show strictly for the ‘Never Seen 17’. While fans were stunned by the result, they quickly turned to gratitude as Cena bid farewell with the entire locker room and staff looking on.
