John Cena, widely regarded as the most accomplished performer in the history of World Wrestling Entertainment, has officially stepped away from in-ring competition following his final bout at Saturday Night’s Main Event. The farewell match took place before a packed crowd of over 19,000 spectators at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, bringing an emotional end to a legendary career that spanned more than two decades.
The 17-time world champion concluded his year-long retirement tour with a defeat to Gunther, a result that carried significant symbolism. Cena was forced to submit after enduring a series of punishing sleeper holds, marking just the fourth tap-out loss of his career and his first submission defeat in 21 years. After repeatedly fighting out of Gunther’s holds, Cena ultimately looked into the camera, flashed a faint smile, and signaled his surrender, a moment that underscored the finality of the occasion. His last submission loss prior to this came in 2004 against Kurt Angle.
Throughout the match, Cena attempted to rally with several of his signature maneuvers, including the Five Knuckle Shuffle and the Attitude Adjustment, but Gunther’s relentless offense proved too much to overcome. Once the contest ended, Gunther quietly exited the ring as wrestlers from across the WWE locker room emerged to pay tribute to the departing icon.
In a powerful show of respect, World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes joined Cena in the ring, presenting him with their championship belts so he could hold them one final time. However, the atmosphere shifted when WWE chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque appeared, drawing loud chants of anger from fans unhappy with the outcome of Cena’s farewell match.
A tribute video followed, highlighting Cena’s storied career with appearances from wrestlers past and present, including archival footage of former WWE chairman Vince McMahon. Cena then removed his shoes and wristbands, leaving them in the center of the ring in a traditional symbol of retirement, before acknowledging the crowd. As he exited, he high-fived fans, took one last bow, and addressed the camera with a heartfelt message of gratitude, thanking supporters for allowing him to serve them over the years.
The loss also marked the second retirement match Gunther has ended in 2025, following his earlier victory over Bill Goldberg. Cena’s final appearance capped a dramatic year that included his first-ever heel turn at Elimination Chamber, a record-breaking world title win over Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania, and a brief final championship reign before Rhodes reclaimed the title at SummerSlam.