WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Results As John Cena Taps Out To Gunther, Retires

1 week ago 4

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event marked the swan song for arguably the greatest superstar in WWE history, John Cena.

In July 2024, the 17-time world champion announced that he would retire from WWE this year, and the clock has officially run out. Although Cena himself wanted to do a full-time retirement tour with more than 200 dates, WWE utilized him for just 36 dates this year in what was an up-and-down final run, complete with a badly botched heel turn.

It all came down to WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C., with Cena facing the winner of the “Last Time is Now” tournament Gunther inside in the Capital One Arena.

ForbesWWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Results As AJ Styles, Dragon Lee WinBy Blake Oestriecher

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event 2025 Results for John Cena vs. Gunther

John Cena faced the likes of AJ Styles, CM Punk, Brock Lesnar and Randy Orton during his retirement tour, but at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, he faced arguably his toughest test yet in Gunther.

Just a few months removed from sending WCW icon Goldberg into retirement, Gunther did the same with the “GOAT” of WWE. Capping off what was, as expected, an epic encounter between one of WWE’s best heels and its ultimate babyface, Gunther defeated Cena in shocking fashion when he made “The Champ” tap out in Cena’s final match.

After a series of sleeper holds, Gunther submitted Cena in the sleeper hold to send Cena into retirement with a loss. Below are some of the key highlights and moments from Cena’s last match ever, a memorable battle with "The Ring General":

The Washington, D.C. crowd absolutely exploded when Cena made his entrance for the final time as an active wrestler. Cena went outside of the ring to shake the hands of several WWE legends in attendance, including Kurt Angle, Kevin Owens, Booker T, Trish Stratus and Rob Van Dam.
Lilian Garcia did an excellent job announcing Cena’s entrance, and the match started with a classic collar and elbow tie-up as the crowd erupted in chants of “Let’s go Cena!” Gunther quickly delivered a pair of European uppercuts, and the fans showered Gunther with some NSFW chants.
Gunther laid into Cena with a series of chants as the crowd chanted, “You tapped out,” a reference to Jey Uso’s WrestleMania 41 win over Gunther. Cena made a brief rally, including a pair of shoulder tackles and his patented slam. Cena went for the Five Knuckle Shuffle and nailed it. He attempted the Attitude Adjustment, but Gunther avoided and hit a German suplex followed by a huge clothesline.
Gunther went for the sleeper hold, but Cena wiggled out and was able to lock in the STF much to the fans’ delight. After a long struggle, Gunther pushed Cena off and hit a running dropkick followed by a powerbomb. More NSFW chants from the crowd as Gunther landed a trio of brutal clotheslines.
Cena was able to regain the momentum with his patented comeback, complete with a Five Knuckle Shuffle and an AA. That got a very close two-count. Gunther avoided another AA attempt and then locked in the sleeper hold, taking Cena to the ground.
Cena escaped and then locked in a sleeper hold of his own, but Gunther was able to force a rope break. Gunther slammed Cena onto the ring apron and then dragged the steel ring steps to the announce table. Cena was able to counter on top of the ring steps, pick up Gunther and send him crashing through the announce table with a massive AA as the crowd went berserk.
Back in the ring, Cena got a two-count and climbed up to the top rope, nailing Gunther with a leg drop to the back of the head for another nearfall. That resulted in “You still got it” chants. Cena teased a Five Knuckle Shuffle and said it was the last one.
Cena hit the ropes, but Gunther responded with a big boot and a powerbomb for a very close two-count. Gunther went up top, Cena attacked him and picked up Gunther, planting the former world champ with an avalanche AA. Somehow, Gunther kicked out at two. “This is awesome” chants echoed throughout the arena.
Gunther and Cena exchanged blows to dueling crowd chants. Eventually, Cena ducked and picked up Gunther for another AA. Gunther landed on his feet, hit another powerbomb and then a frog splash but only got two again. “Super Cena” chants this time.
Again, Gunther locked in the sleeper hold as Cena began to fade. Cena fought back, stood up, and nearly escaped, but Gunther brought him back down to the mat. Cena stood up again and escaped, went for the AA and nearly got it, but Gunther locked in the sleeper hold once again.
Gunther jumped on Cena’s back, so Cena backed him into the corner to momentarily break the hold. Gunther locked in the sleeper yet again and jumped on Cena’s back. Cena broke the hold, then slammed Gunther to the mat with another AA. Gunther responded by locking in the sleeper on more time. “Don’t give up” chants erupted from the crowd.
The ref picked up Cena’s hand twice and went for it a third time, but Cena didn’t let it drop. Cena fought back up, but Gunther pounded him with elbows to the beck. Once more, Gunther caught Cena in a sleeper, and Cena ultimately tapped out.
That finish left the crowd in stunned silence as Gunther won the match.
Post-match, Cody Rhodes and CM Punk came out with a number of WWE officials and presented Cena with their championship belts. Most of the roster entered the arena and surrounded the ring to celebrate Cena and his legendary career.

Despite numerous marquee stars previously breaking their retirements, Cena has vowed that he will “never wrestle” again after his final bout at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event.

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event 2025 Results: What’s Next for Gunther After Beating John Cena?

John Cena exits WWE as one of the most accomplished stars of all-time, with a resume that includes multiple Royal Rumble victories, 17 world title wins and numerous WrestleMania main events.

When it became clear that Gunther would be the man to have the honor of facing Cena in his retirement match, that came with a mix of excitement and, well, some frustration. After losing the World Heavyweight Championship to Jey Uso at WrestleMania 41, Gunther has been rebuilt as a top star once again. Most notably, he beat Goldberg in the latter’s final match at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in July, and of, course, he did the same with Cena this Saturday in Washington, D.C.

The pressures that come with beating not just Goldberg but also Cena in their final matches can’t be overstated. But if anyone is capable of living up to the lofty expectations that come along with those two massive accomplishments, then Gunther is certainly the man for the job.

Gunther is arguably WWE’s best and most believable villain, and after tapping out to Uso last April, it was imperative that WWE reestablish him as a nearly unbeatable star. WWE is well on its way to achieving that goal, and Gunther should have a chance to stay incredibly relevant even if he isn’t in the title picture come WrestleMania season.

The expectation is that Gunther will not be in Raw’s World Heavyweight Championship picture this time around. Instead, the title scene is reportedly set to revolve around CM Punk and Bron Breakker. Still, the fact that Gunther has marquee wins over both Cena and Goldberg in recent months suggests WWE obviously has big plans in store for Gunther.

The best option? A WrestleMania feud with Brock Lesnar.

Lesnar vs. Gunther was once penciled in for WrestleMania 40 before being scrapped due to Lesnar’s off-screen issues, but that dream match still remains the odds on favorite for WrestleMania 42. Gunther has been booked incredibly strongly since that loss to Uso while the same is true of Lesnar, who absolutely dismantled Cena at WrestlePalooza in September.

The stars are aligning for two of WWE’s most protected stars to face each other for the first time, and after Gunther’s career-defining win over Cena at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, WWE is one step closer to laying the groundwork for that dream match at WrestleMania 42.

Read Entire Article