FAREWELL FURY: FANS DEMAND CENA VS. GUNTHER MAIN EVENT CLOSING OUT THE NIGHT
John Cena's final match against Gunther is reportedly scheduled to open Saturday Night’s Main Event, sparking major fan backlash who believe the WWE legend deserves to close the show.
Last year on July 6th, the 48-year-old made a surprise appearance at Money in the Bank, announcing his plan to retire by the end of 2025. This kicked off an emotional goodbye for a WWE legend.
On his farewell tour, Cena has been facing off against both old rivals and new talent. He’s renewed rivalries with CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, and Randy Orton, and he’s also used the tour to help boost up-and-coming wrestlers since he got back.
His retirement tour has had many great in-ring moments showing his 20-plus-year career. His fight with CM Punk brought back their old chemistry, with the crowd going crazy as they traded moves that recalled their 2011 rivalry.
His match against Brock Lesnar was one of the most intense of the tour, with Cena pushing Lesnar to his limit. A reunion with Randy Orton gave fans a nostalgic kick, with a quick exchange of the RKO and Attitude Adjustment that had everyone cheering.
What WWE Has Planned for John Cena's Last Match
Now, before his last WWE match, WrestleOps' Twitter account shared when the 48-year-old will make his exit. Reportedly, the Cena vs. Gunther match is set to start Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend.
Right now, John Cena vs. GUNTHER is scheduled to begin Saturday Night’s Main Event this weekend, WrestleOps tweeted.
Fans Not Happy With WWE's Choice
Fans are not happy with WWE’s chief content officer and executive producer, Triple H, for the scheduling. Many think the Cena vs. Gunther match should end Saturday Night’s Main Event, letting Cena close out the show in a proper goodbye.
“They can’t be this dumb,” one user said, while another posted, “This is a terrible idea if it’s true.”
It will be interesting to see if WWE answers fan complaints and changes the schedule for the Cena vs. Gunther match on Saturday. No matter where it is on the list, Saturday Night’s Main Event should be a night to remember.
BROCK LESNAR'S LAST RIDE: ANALYZING THE PLANNED 2026 RETIREMENT TOURS FOR WWE LEGENDS
WWE has "working plans" for major retirement tours in 2026, including Brock Lesnar and AJ Styles. Lesnar's final match is rumoured for SummerSlam in his home state of Minnesota, as hinted by John Cena.
Word is WWE is planning retirement tours for Brock Lesnar and a couple other big names.
John Cena, before his own match, mentioned on Chris Van Vliet's podcast that Lesnar might retire at a show in Minnesota.
Since SummerSlam 2026 is set for Minneapolis, Minnesota, Lesnar could finish his wrestling days where he first became famous as an amateur wrestler.
Dave Meltzer from F4WOnline.com mentioned in his Wrestling Observer Newsletter that WWE is supposedly planning retirement tours for Lesnar, AJ Styles, and maybe Chris Jericho.
Meltzer wrote, There's talk that Lesnar will retire at SummerSlam 2026. I can't confirm the date, but I heard a while back that the plan for 2026 included WWE retirement runs for Lesnar, Styles, and possibly Jericho if he signs with them.
I don't think anything is set in stone, except for Styles, who has said he'll retire in 2026, but he didn't say when. But Lesnar's name has come up, which is probably where the story came from.
AJ Styles has already said he’s retiring in 2026. Chris Jericho is still with AEW, but there are rumors he might come back to WWE when his contract is up later this year.
Lesnar was last seen at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames, and he's being advertised for the 2026 Royal Rumble.
WWE President Nick Khan says Lesnar is easy to deal with.
WWE got some heat when Lesnar came back at SummerSlam 2025 because he was involved in Janel Grant's lawsuit against Vince McMahon. Still, WWE keeps using him. Khan said in an interview with Daniel Cormier that Lesnar is great to work with.
Khan said, He usually looks like the toughest guy in the room. That's just him. He's great to work with and easygoing. As long as he knows what's happening, there are no problems. We’re happy to have him back.
BACKSTAGE BATTLE: CENA VS WWE OVER MAIN EVENT SPOT FOR GUNTHER SHOWDOWN
John Cena is strongly pushing for his final match against Gunther to open the show, wanting to elevate NXT talent rather than close out the event himself.
There's been talk about where the John Cena vs. Gunther match will land on WWE Saturday Night's Main Event on December 13. Word is, WWE is still figuring out if Cena's last match will kick things off or wrap up the night in Washington, DC.
Bryan Alvarez mentioned on Wrestling Observer Live that Cena is pushing for his final match to start the show. He wants the NXT wrestlers to be seen as the stars of the night.
Alvarez said, They could start with anything they want on Saturday night. The day of the show, someone might change their mind and say, 'Let's save the John Cena match for last.' But the plan was for John Cena's match to go on first. Whether that happens, we'll see. There are good reasons for and against it. John Cena has made it clear he wants to go on first. He's said it everywhere. No matter what others think, John Cena wants to start the show.
John Cena really wanted NXT wrestlers on the show so they could get some attention during his final appearance, his final Saturday Night's Main Event. He's said many times, 'I don't want this show to be just about me. I'm having my last match, but I want it to help other people too.' He thinks starting the show will put the spotlight on the NXT wrestlers as the main eventers.
But not everyone in WWE is on board with Cena opening the show. WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select reported that most people in the company, including some higher-ups, want Cena to close the show on December 13.