How John Cena losing his last match was a genius move

One thing John Cena said when he first started this retirement tour was that he wanted to leave the company in a better position than when he was part of it. Even though the retirement tour started out poorly, it slowly picked back up and ultimately gave us a lot of great moments that we’ll cherish forever.

That brings us to last Saturday and Cena’s final match. A lot of fans wanted the fairytale ending—Cena conquering one last big obstacle, followed by a heartfelt speech to the fans before riding off into the sunset. Sadly, that didn’t happen. Instead, we saw Cena tap out to Gunther’s sleeper hold, and he did it with a smile on his face.

That decision brought out the anger of the IWC, along with several wrestling reporters and even performers, who went on social media tirades explaining why this was the wrong move and why Gunther was the wrong guy to beat Cena. You name the excuse, and I’ve probably read it. But in my eyes, this is exactly why the decision was a genius move by Cena and Triple H.

Let’s say they went with the feel-good ending instead. What happens next? We all move on like nothing happened. WWE continues on its way, Cena moves on with his post-wrestling career, and nothing truly comes out of it beyond a feel-good moment that most fans would forget in a few months.

By going this route, WWE created something much bigger. It got fans talking. Gunther and Triple H instantly became two of the biggest heels in the company. It created a moment fans will remember for years, and it brought Cena’s career full circle—he lost his first match by submission, and he lost his last match by submission.

Now everyone is waiting to see what’s next for Gunther. He’s going to get booed out of the building on Monday, and if he’s booked properly—and I believe he will be—he can become this unstoppable “final boss” type of character. This is the kind of role you can use every time a legend decides to retire, because this moment will stick with Gunther for the rest of his career.

If Triple H ever wants to return as an on-screen character, he now has something he can use. He could become a modern version of Mr. McMahon. Many of the same smart fans who once loved him now openly hate him, and that heat could be used to inject even more excitement into the product if WWE decides to go in that direction.

In the end, WWE—especially under Triple H’s creative direction—has been about playing to the IWC and using their reactions as fuel to create moments and improve the product compared to the Vince McMahon era. Cena wanted to give opportunities to the next generation while leaving the company in a better place, and that’s exactly what he did last Saturday. Three matches showcased some of the best NXT talent, and Cena elevated Gunther to the next level while creating a genuine buzz around WWE that clearly hadn’t been there in quite some time.

This is why this was the perfect ending to Cena’s final match. It checked off everything he wanted to accomplish. Now it will be very interesting to see whether WWE can capitalize on it—or if they fail to maintain Gunther’s momentum as the top heel in the company.