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heyn On Saturday, after a career of more than 2,300 matches, the final bell is about to sound john cenaThe 17-time world champion will face Austrian wrestler Gunther, who is considered one of the most dominant and intense superstars of the modern era, WWEWhich will be Cena’s last match.
However, the passage of Cena’s swan song, Despite being announced more than a year agoHas been anything but straightforward or universally acclaimed. What should have been an emotional farewell to one of WWE’s most beloved figures often feels unnecessarily convoluted, A vocal section of fans dividedYet, in the realm of professional-wrestling retirements, this trajectory sounds familiar, as history shows again and again that stepping away from the class circle is rarely a simple matter,
It’s always a bold move for a wrestler to announce his confirmed final match so early. Many of the sport’s all-time greats, such as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock and The Undertaker, have never officially retired. Instead, he decided to ride off into the sunset on his own terms, returning whenever the time – and the financial incentive – felt right.
For those who officially call it a day and take off their shoes to resist the temptation Wrestling Rings are often easier said than done. Consider rick flareWhom many people consider to be the greatest wrestler of all time. In 2008, he received an almost perfect send-off when he lost to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24. The emotional encounter, which WWE has arguably been trying to replicate ever since, saw Michaels telling Flair, one of his idols, “I’m sorry, I love you” before achieving the pinfall. The match was critically acclaimed and hailed as a fitting conclusion to Flair’s legendary career.
Despite this, Flair has returned to the ring nine times, most recently in 2022 for a tag-team contest promoted as “Ric Flair’s last match”. Seeing the 73-year-old struggle to put on any athletic display, even fainting at one stage, was a regrettable sight, sadly tarnishing the legacy of his match 14 years earlier.
Perhaps the most famous example of a wrestler failing to honor a retirement is “hardcore icon” Terry Funk. The legendary brawler, who influenced everyone from CM Punk to Mick Foley, had his first retirement match in 1983 with his brother Dory Jr. in All Japan Pro Wrestling against Stan Hansen and Terry Gordy. Funk not only returned to the ring a year later, but he went on to have a stellar career and seven more retirement matches against opponents including Bret Hart, Sabu, and Jerry Lawler.
Yet unlike Flair’s later efforts to advance his career, Funk’s persistent desire to wrestle endeared him to fans even more, as his love of the sport was clearly based on something much bigger than just the next pay check. Funk’s final match took place in 2017, six years before his death.
Another recurring issue with pro-wrestling retirements centers on whether the retiree wins or loses his final match.
In 2024, WCW Legend stingAfter a disappointing run in WWE, he retired from All Elite Wrestling (AEW) after a stellar stint with the company and his tag-team partner Darby Allin. The pair successfully defended their titles against The Young Bucks in Sting’s final match – a chaotic and violent brawl – which was widely considered one of the best championships of the year, despite the icon being over 60 years old.
In contrast, Kurt Angle, a multiple-time WWE Champion and Olympic gold medalist, retired in 2019 after losing a short, underwhelming and poorly-reacted match against Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35. This contest did not fit Angle’s otherwise remarkable career and did little to enhance his legacy or elevate Corbin.
The complications associated with retirement matches are not limited to North America. Just weeks after Cena’s final bow, his virtual counterpart in Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi, will conclude his illustrious career in New Japan Pro Wrestling at the iconic Tokyo Dome on January 4. Tanahashi is respected in Japan and is considered one of the greatest wrestling greats, having delivered many great matches and memorable matches.
However, like Cena, selecting his final opponent has proven challenging. New Japan currently does not have the same depth of top-tier talent as it once did. Although passing the torch to a young star would be a symbolic gesture, it is unlikely to attract widespread attention. Strong rumors circulated that he might face old rival Shinsuke Nakamura, an unprecedented move given Nakamura’s current employment with WWE. Eventually, it was revealed that Tanahashi’s biggest rival, Kazuchika Okada (now employed by AEW), would be his opponent, reuniting their eternal feud for the last time.
Like Cena’s final match, the road to Tanahashi’s departure often feels rushed and disjointed, but slowly builds towards a grand climax.
Cena’s final year in the sport was particularly confusing, largely due to A disjointed heel turn and a very brief collaboration with The Rock and rapper Travis Scott that ultimately went nowhere. Overall, it felt like an experiment that should have been done at least 15 years ago and, after six months, was quickly forgotten, allowing Cena to go on a proper, pleasant farewell tour.
Although matches against old opponents like Randy Orton, CM Punk and Brock Lesnar failed to fully spark the desired nostalgia, bouts against talents like Cody Rhodes, AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, Logan Paul and Dominic Mysterio showed that Cena could still deliver great wrestling when needed.
So now it will culminate in the final match of Gunther and Cena. On paper, this promises to be a fitting farewell for this great player saturday night main eventStreaming live on Netflix, he’s expected to be cheered on by teammates and notable figures inside Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena. Gunther is a confident opponent, leaning toward the physical, war-game element of pro wrestling, as opposed to the bells and whistles that can often turn the spectacle into a circus act.
Does the match have to be good? In short, yes, and with a rising Hollywood career, it certainly seems like it will. Still, as wrestling has proven time and again, the allure of its pomp and circumstance may be too hard to resist for some stars, so don’t be surprised if you see Cena on WWE television again.
Cena, throughout his better and worse years as a character and wrestler, has been a tremendous ambassador for WWE. If anyone deserves a lavish retirement, it’s “Big-Match John.”
John Cena’s final match and the entire main event of Saturday Night will stream live on Netflix on December 13.