arthur roy sitompulSportsBreakNews.com – John Cena, arguably the most recognizable WWE superstar of the 21st century, is set to conclude his illustrious in-ring career this Saturday. The veteran competitor will participate in his final professional wrestling match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event, bringing an end to a retirement tour that has spanned the past twelve months. This period has seen Cena navigate a complex narrative arc, marked by significant career milestones, unexpected character shifts, and a diverse range of in-ring performances, culminating in a critical examination of his final year in the sport.
The 2025 retirement tour commenced with Cena seeking to achieve an unprecedented milestone: surpassing Ric Flair’s record of 16 recognized world championship reigns. This objective set the stage for his initial appearance in the annual Royal Rumble match, a traditional pathway to a championship opportunity at WrestleMania. Despite being a strong contender, Cena was ultimately eliminated by Jey Uso in a surprising turn of events, denying him a direct route to the main event of WrestleMania 41.
Following the Royal Rumble, Cena publicly expressed his view that his participation in WrestleMania was "best for business" and asserted that "23 years of loyal service to this company" entitled him to a spot in the Elimination Chamber match, foregoing the qualification process required of other competitors. This stance marked a subtle but notable deviation from his long-established "never give up" ethos. His entry into the Elimination Chamber ultimately secured him a world title match. The concluding moments of the Elimination Chamber saw Cena face CM Punk. After Punk was incapacitated by a stomped head into the metal grating by the already-eliminated Seth Rollins, Cena capitalized on the situation, locking Punk in an STF to secure the victory. This opportunistic win foreshadowed a more dramatic shift in his character.
The definitive moment of Cena’s heel turn occurred shortly after his Elimination Chamber victory. Under the perceived influence of The Rock, Cena executed a brutal assault on Cody Rhodes, with musician Travis Scott also participating. This segment generated considerable traction across social media platforms and garnered widespread media attention, achieving its immediate objective of creating a viral spectacle. However, the subsequent narrative development appeared to lack a clear long-term strategy.
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At WrestleMania 41, Cena faced Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship. The 25-minute encounter, which many critics characterized as a "slog," saw Cena claim his 17th world championship, officially breaking Ric Flair’s long-standing record. The victory was facilitated by interference from Travis Scott, while The Rock, who had been instrumental in Cena’s heel turn, was conspicuously absent. Post-match, Cena articulated his actions as a response to an "abusive relationship" with the WWE fanbase, stating his intention to "ruin wrestling for them" by becoming the "last real champion." This rationale, however, was perceived by many as incongruent with his continued merchandising of his retirement tour and the lack of consistent involvement from The Rock and Scott, which diminished the impact of his heel persona. Cena himself, in a recent interview, offered insight into the spontaneity of the character shift, stating, "No, that stuff you see on [WWE] Unreal is real… ‘We need to make Chamber big, so let’s do something that’ll shock everybody. Hey man, we got this idea.’ ‘No problem, I’ll do the best I can.’" This quote suggested that the turn was primarily an ad-hoc decision to create a significant moment rather than a meticulously planned character evolution.
With his heel run struggling to gain consistent traction, WWE pivoted to rekindle established rivalries. Cena’s first title defense as champion came against Randy Orton at Backlash. The rivalry between Cena and Orton, a hallmark of the Ruthless Aggression and PG Eras, is often cited for its historical prominence within WWE, stemming from both men holding top positions for over a decade. The Backlash match, while deemed "decent," saw Cena retain his championship.
Following Orton, Cena engaged in a brief, comedic program with R-Truth, a performer known for his eccentric character and long-standing on-screen admiration for Cena. The storyline initiated when Truth confronted Cena at a Backlash press conference, resulting in Cena putting Truth through a table. Cena defeated R-Truth at Saturday Night’s Main Event in May, but their June rematch on SmackDown concluded with Cena losing by disqualification. This diversion, though short, offered a lighter interlude during Cena’s heel tenure, leveraging years of comedic interaction between the two performers.
A more significant rivalry was reignited for Night of Champions, where Cena defended his title against CM Punk. This program provided the most effective showcase for Cena’s heel character, drawing on their deep and often personal history. Cena notably delivered his own version of Punk’s iconic "pipebomb" promo from 2011, a segment where Punk, as WWE Champion, threatened to leave the company with the title. Cena ingeniously inverted this narrative, given their reversed positions in 2025. The match itself at Night of Champions was widely regarded as one of the best of Cena’s retirement tour, a testament to their strong in-ring chemistry. However, the contest was significantly marred by a multitude of interferences, including appearances by Seth Rollins, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Penta, and Sami Zayn, which ultimately detracted from the narrative being told by Cena and Punk.
As SummerSlam approached, Cena was once again paired with Cody Rhodes. On the final SmackDown broadcast before the event, Cena confronted Rhodes and executed an abrupt return to his babyface persona. Without substantial narrative impetus, Cena declared he had "lost his way" and proclaimed, "August 1, 2025, the day John Cena came back to WWE." This marked the swift end of his heel run, positioning him to conclude his career as the heroic figure he had embodied for the majority of his time in WWE.
As anticipated, Cody Rhodes defeated Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam. The match, contested under "street fight" rules, was considered an improvement over their WrestleMania encounter, benefiting from the added drama of the stipulation. In a gesture consistent with his babyface turn, Cena shook Rhodes’ hand after the match. This moment was immediately overshadowed by the shocking and controversial return of Brock Lesnar, who brutally attacked Cena, setting up their next encounter.
Before a direct confrontation with Lesnar, Cena engaged in a short program with Logan Paul. The match at Clash in Paris saw Cena defeat the social media influencer-turned-wrestler. Demonstrating a renewed sense of enjoyment in the ring, Cena incorporated several maneuvers outside his traditional repertoire, signaling a shift in his in-ring approach post-title reign.
Cena and Lesnar eventually clashed at Wrestlepalooza. The match evoked memories of their SummerSlam 2014 encounter, where Lesnar delivered 16 German suplexes in a dominant victory. Lesnar again asserted his dominance over Cena, though the Wrestlepalooza match was largely viewed as a disappointment. ESPN, whose streaming deal with WWE commenced with the event, assigned it a C- grade, while CBS Sports provided a C.
The perceived highlight of Cena’s retirement tour occurred in October at Crown Jewel in Australia. With minimal pre-match build-up beyond a social media exchange, Cena faced AJ Styles. Their previous encounters are often listed among Cena’s career bests, and Crown Jewel proved no exception. The match diverged from typical WWE main event structures, incorporating numerous callbacks to moments from both competitors’ careers and utilizing moves popularized by their past rivals. This style resonated with fans and critics, who noted its resemblance to independent circuit matches of the 2010s.
Following his acclaimed match with Styles, Cena entered the final stretch of his appearances. However, one significant career achievement remained. In his final WWE ring appearance in Boston, Cena was challenged by Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio. This impromptu match saw Cena secure the victory, capturing the Intercontinental Championship—the only major WWE championship he had never held. With this win, Cena officially joined the exclusive ranks of WWE Grand Slam Champions, having held a world championship, a tag team championship, the Intercontinental Championship, and the United States Championship.
Cena’s reign as Intercontinental Champion was brief. After teaming with Sheamus and Rey Mysterio to defeat The Judgment Day on his final Raw appearance, Cena faced Dominik Mysterio in a rematch at Survivor Series. Extensive interference, including the return of Liv Morgan, ultimately led to Mysterio regaining the Intercontinental Championship.
The culmination of John Cena’s career is now set for Saturday night, where he will face Gunther. Gunther earned the right to be Cena’s final opponent by battling through a dedicated tournament, ensuring a high-stakes conclusion to Cena’s unparalleled career.
Assessing the overall success of Cena’s retirement tour presents a mixed perspective. The booking throughout the year drew criticism at several junctures. The initial heel turn on Cody Rhodes, while a viral moment, suffered from a lack of sustained follow-through, particularly the absence of The Rock, which rendered Cena’s subsequent repetitive promos about disliking fans largely ineffectual and narratively inconsistent with his continued brand representation. WWE’s subsequent decision to abruptly revert Cena to a babyface persona, seemingly without a robust narrative explanation, appeared to be an overcorrection, possibly necessitated by the need to position Cena as a sympathetic figure for the returning Brock Lesnar’s attack. Furthermore, many of Cena’s matches early in the tour were characterized as overly long and overbooked, and his in-ring performance in these initial stages did not consistently meet expectations for 25-minute encounters.
However, as the tour progressed, Cena’s in-ring work notably improved. He demonstrated flashes of his renowned ability, particularly in his match with CM Punk and, most notably, in his critically acclaimed performance against AJ Styles, which many considered among the best of his career. Despite the booking inconsistencies and occasional in-ring struggles, these moments served as potent reminders of Cena’s exceptional talent and enduring legacy in professional wrestling. In this regard, the tour ultimately underscored Cena’s status as one of the most significant performers in WWE history, concluding his career with both a record-breaking title reign and the Grand Slam achievement.
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