ONE LAST TIME: FINN BALOR ON JOHN CENA'S GENIUS, HEEL TURN, AND GUNTHER MATCH
John Cena's 23-year WWE run ends Saturday vs. Gunther. We look back at his controversial heel turn, 17 titles, and his painful split with Nikki Bella.
It was June 22, 2002—just another SmackDown episode, or so everyone in WWE thought. But that night changed things, becoming a show that people would remember.
A 25-year-old John Cena stepped into the ring and challenged Kurt Angle, one of the biggest names in the company. He muttered the words 'ruthless aggression.'
Sure, it was planned. But the fact that WWE trusted a rookie from Massachusetts in such a spot showed how much faith they had in him. And it paid off big time.
This Saturday, Cena will say goodbye to WWE for good. His 23-year career has included pretty much everything: tons of titles, a broken relationship with a fellow wrestler, and a final year that got mixed reactions.
It feels unreal to see John leaving, Finn Balor, a former WWE world champion and Cena's opponent, told Daily Mail Sport. Fun fact: the last piece of WWE stuff that I bought as a fan was a John Cena shirt.
John talks to everyone. People might think his character is for kids, but I was an adult when I bought that shirt. I was already in the wrestling business, performing in Japan. He connects with everyone—kids, adults, boys, girls, young and old. He’ll be remembered as one of the greatest.
John Cena's WWE career ends this Saturday with his final match.
His time with the company has had its ups and downs, like his controversial run as a heel in his last year.
But here's the thing about John Cena: he's always won over fans from all walks of life.
That's partly why his farewell year was so interesting. In March, he turned heel—the bad guy—for the first time, joining forces with The Rock to win a record-breaking 17th world title against Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania.
To many, it felt off, maybe a bit rushed. The Rock disappeared, and the story kind of fizzled, especially after rapper Travis Scott, who was part of their trio, vanished from TV.
"I enjoyed it because I like it when people try new things," Balor said, sharing his view from inside WWE. It was made for that moment when the screens went from dark to bright. Maybe some didn't like it while it was happening, but when we got the John Cena we love back, it was great. I think it was brave and well done, and I'd like to see more of that in wrestling.
And so Superman, as Cena is sometimes called, turned good again. On August 1, he said his time as a bad guy sucked, and he'd go back to being the star everyone loved.
Some more than others, it seemed. In 2012, Cena started dating Nikki Bella, one-half of the Bella Twins (with her sister Brie). Nikki is now in the WWE Hall of Fame, and she and Cena became a power couple.
They dated for years and got engaged at WrestleMania in 2017, but broke up less than a year later, right before their wedding.
"We had an amazing relationship, but we wanted different lives," Bella said on Maria Menounos' Better Together podcast in 2020. We tried to make it work.
Cena used to be engaged to Nikki Bella, but he's now married to Shay Shariatzadeh.
Bella said they broke up because they disagreed about having children.
Finn Balor shared what Cena is like behind the scenes with Daily Mail Sport.
Even when he was willing to have kids, I could tell he didn't really want to. And that's what pushed me away.
If I force someone to be a father, what if he regrets it later, and then we have this child and this life? I didn't want that.
So Cena went back to wrestling and acting. After being a bodybuilder in the late '90s, he realised wrestling was where he wanted to be.
That's right. After college, Cena became a bodybuilder, competing in local events and working in gyms until his wrestling career took off.
He got praise for his wrestling skills. Not always, though. Fans sometimes criticised him, booing him while "John Cena sucks" echoed during his walk-on song, My Time is Now.
But he climbed the ranks, winning titles and having memorable rivalries with guys like Edge, CM Punk, and Randy Orton, and soon became a household name.
His attitude and character helped, too. He's always willing to help, and he's always there for the fans. He even holds the Guinness World Record for granting the most wishes—650—through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
When I joined WWE, John was at his best, Balor said. He was the top guy, the leader. As a new talent from Japan, he could have seen me as a threat. Instead, he saw me as someone who could help him grow the business.
Cena, who used to be a bodybuilder, has been wrestling part-time to take on acting roles in Hollywood.
Gunther, also a former world champion, will be Cena's final opponent this Saturday.
Cena will end his 23-year career on his own terms at Saturday Night's Main Event.
He always advised in and out of the ring. I thought all top WWE superstars were like that. But 11 years later, I realised not everyone is like that. That was just John being John. I was naive to think everyone would be like John Cena because there's only one John Cena.
He's earned the respect and recognition he has because of how he's acted throughout his career, and I'm grateful for that. I'll try to learn from him and use his example as guidance for how I should act.
In 2006, he was in The Marine, but he changed things up in the mid-2010s by wrestling part-time to pursue acting. Since then, he's been in movies like Daddy's Home, F9, The Suicide Squad, and Barbie, with more to come.
His wrestling and acting have helped him build a net worth of around £60 million, which will likely grow as he seems to be going into Hollywood full-time after wrestling.
Outside the ring and acting, he's now married to Shay Shariatzadeh, his second wife, whom he married in 2020. He seems settled, happy, and ready for his next chapter.
This Saturday, after a tournament to decide who it would be, Gunther gets to be Cena's last opponent. He's also a former world champion and is highly regarded in WWE.
"I won't be at the show," Balor added. We were supposed to be there, but since JD [McDonagh, Balor's tag team partner] is injured, I'll be at home with a cup of tea, watching like I would have 30 years ago as a Cena fan, cheering him on.
I'm looking forward to John versus Gunther. It's going to be an amazing match—a clash of styles and chapters of my life.
And when it's all said and done, after 23 years, the wrestling world will say goodbye to John Cena for good.
John Cena’s final match takes place on Saturday, December 13, at Saturday Night’s Main Event, which you can watch for free on WWE’s YouTube channel. Finn Balor will be back in Europe this January during the ‘Road to Royal Rumble’ tour. Get your tickets now from Ticketmaster.
THE BACKSTAGE FAREWELL: WHY WWE STARS ARE SAYING GOODBYE TO LEGEND ASUKA
IYO SKY and Charlotte Flair lead tributes to Asuka as reports surface that the Empress of Tomorrow is stepping back from WWE.
Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer reported that Asuka was saying her goodbyes backstage, and right now, people are calling her "semi-retired". What that actually means is still up in the air. Nobody really knows if Asuka plans to stick around WWE for occasional special matches or if she’ll head back to Japan and keep wrestling there.
“The story I heard is that she is semi-retired,” Meltzer explained, according to WrestlePurists. “I haven’t really gotten an exact definition of 'semi-retired', but I guess people were wishing her farewell backstage.”
He also said, “I don’t know if she’s wrestling in Japan; I don’t know if she’ll do things here and there, but semi-retired is what I was told.”
Asuka’s journey with WWE started in 2015, kicking off in NXT. She wasn’t just another face; she became the longest-reigning NXT Women’s Champion ever, holding that title for 510 days, and went on an unreal 914-day winning streak. Over the years, she racked up five WWE Women’s World Championships and five WWE Women’s Tag Team titles and picked up big accolades like Money in the Bank and the Royal Rumble.
WWE even ranked her as the fifth greatest female Superstar of all time, just behind Trish Stratus, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, and Chyna, according to Fightful.
After WWE Backlash, IYO SKY posted an emotional message to Asuka on X (formerly Twitter) after defeating her at the event. She wrote about how much it meant to share the ring and learn from Asuka, calling it an “irreplaceable treasure", and thanked Asuka for everything. That post, along with the photos she shared, only fuelled more talk about Asuka’s possible retirement.
SKY, who’s become one of the most popular and respected wrestlers on the WWE roster over the last couple of years, isn’t alone in showing love for Asuka. After the backlash, stars like Bayley, Natalya, and Charlotte Flair also thanked Asuka for everything she’s done for the business. At 44, Asuka’s impact is impossible to ignore.
BEYOND GUNTHER: ANALYZING THE FOUR POWERHOUSES DESTINED TO LEAD WWE RAW NEXT YEAR
Discover the four WWE superstars, including Bron Breakker and Jacob Fatu, ready to lead Monday Night Raw into a post-Gunther era.
For the last few years, WWE Raw has pretty much belonged to Gunther. He dominated by sticking to his guns, hard work, no-nonsense wrestling, and that old-school fire. When his music hits, you can feel the tone shift. It’s hard to find that kind of presence. You don’t just swap him out and expect things to stay the same.
But that’s the thing about Raw. It never just sits still. The show keeps turning over stories' twists, rosters shuffle, and sooner or later, new faces get their shot. If there ever comes a time to find someone new to lead the red brand, there are four guys who look ready to take over. Each brings something different to the table, and you’d feel it right away.
Jacob Fatu could steal the spotlight.
Jacob Fatu’s the first name that jumps out. When he hits the ring, you notice. He just has that look, as he belongs in the big moments. The guy’s got a rare mix of speed and brute power; other heavyweights struggle to keep up.
Lately, he’s been right in the thick of things, getting involved with some of the top storylines on Raw and even rubbing shoulders with Roman Reigns. That’s not by accident; management doesn’t give you those spots unless they see something real. It means they’re thinking long-term with Fatu.
What makes him stand out is the energy. He’s this controlled, dangerous wrecking ball, but he knows when to push and when to hold back. If Raw needs a new anchor, someone to build around in title matches and feuds, Fatu slides into that role and makes it feel natural.
He’s not a finished product yet, and that’s a good thing. There’s room for him to grow, tell deeper stories, and really connect with the crowd. He’s got that spark fans latch onto because he never looks fake or forced.
Oba Femi brings something new.
Then there’s Oba Femi. For a new guy, he commands respect. From the jump, he’s looked like a real contender, strong in the ring, confident on the mic, and totally believable even against the veterans.
What sets Femi apart is his calm. A lot of new stars go for flash, but he’s got real presence. He can stand toe-to-toe with anyone in the locker room, which is huge if you’re thinking about someone fresh at the top.
Give him a real push and let him be his own kind of dominant. Don’t make him copy Gunther; let him be the force that shakes things up. If WWE puts energy into him, fans will feel it. They tend to back new stars who earn it.
Bron Breakker is the natural choice.
Number one, though? That’s Bron Breakker. He just checks all the boxes: famous family, athletic as hell, and already tested in big matches. If you want someone ready right now, it’s him.
He’s shown he can handle main event pressure. He hits hard, he moves quickly, and he’s comfortable being the centre of attention. When he’s on TV, the pace just picks up. People pay attention.
And people already know him. They’ve seen him grind through NXT and now main roster battles. That history helps. If he ends up carrying Raw after Gunther, it’ll feel right.
Replacing someone like Gunther won’t be easy. People will compare. Expectations will be sky-high. But Breakker has the charisma, the intensity, and the experience to pull it off.
In the end, Raw works best when it changes without losing its soul. Whether it’s Fatu’s wild energy, Femi’s fresh vibe, or Breakker’s complete package, these guys are ready for the spotlight.
When the time comes to pass the torch, Raw won’t shrink. It’ll just reinvent itself once again with these names leading the charge.
