John Cena received a hero’s farewell from the WWE roster and fans after his retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Following his submission loss to Gunther, Cena remained in the ring while the “Ring General” exited.
The crowd expressed audible frustration with the match result, chanting “Bullshit” before shifting to a loud “Thank you, Cena” ovation.
WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque led a procession of dignitaries to the ring, including Stephanie McMahon, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, and much of the locker room.
The audience directed a chant of “You f—ed up” toward Levesque, seemingly in reference to the booking of the match finish.
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk entered the ring and placed their titles on Cena’s shoulders. Cena briefly posed with the championships before returning them and embracing Levesque.
A career retrospective video package then aired on the arena screens. The tribute included archival footage of Vince McMahon praising Cena, a rare appearance for the former company chairman in recent programming.
When the video concluded, Cena removed his wristbands and sneakers, placing them neatly in the center of the ring to signify his retirement.
Cena walked up the ramp, greeting fans along the aisle. Before stepping through the curtain, he turned to the camera and delivered a final message: “It’s been a pleasure serving you all these years. Thank you.”
One final goodbye.
Thank YOU, @JohnCena. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/hg8gNpbILG
— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2025
