• Backstage Reaction Of WWE Officials & Wrestlers To John Cena Tapping Out
The creative decision to have John Cena tap out to GUNTHER in his final match was met with strong support from the creative and booking teams, despite the boos heard from the live crowd. While the audience and some talent were split on the ending, the people in charge were happy with the result.
According to Fightful Select, Triple H was seen with a smile on his face in the Gorilla position when the finish happened. His happy reaction behind the scenes matched the way he laughed when fans booed him in the ring when he was hugging Cena.
Although many wrestlers privately wished that Cena could have won his final match, they understood the larger goal of the booking. Talent recognized that having GUNTHER, a younger full-time top star, cleanly defeat Cena was important for the future of the company. It was also noted that no one was “livid” about the outcome backstage.
The internal support for the controversial finish shows that WWE’s goal was clearly to use Cena’s retirement to make GUNTHER a force to be reckoned with.
Also Read: Both GUNTHER & John Cena Break Silence After Last Night’s Match
• CM Punk & Bayley Were Shocked When John Cena Tapped Out (Video)
Fans weren’t the only ones who were left shocked after John Cena tapped out to GUNTHER in his retirement match. World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk and Bayley were shocked as well. You can watch it below:
.@CMPunk & @itsBayleyWWE were just as shocked as the rest of us… 😧 pic.twitter.com/mAITpPTi27
— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2025
• List Of All The Times John Cena Tapped Out In WWE
1. SmackDown in July 2002 – Chris Jericho made Cena tap out to the Walls of Jericho after their match.
2. No Mercy 2003 – Kurt Angle made Cena tap out to the Ankle Lock.
3. SmackDown in December 2003 – Chris Benoit made Cena tap out to the Crippler Crossface.
4. No Way Out 2004 – Kurt Angle made Cena tap out to the Ankle Lock.
5. Saturday Night’s Main Event in December 2025 – GUNTHER retired Cena after making him tap out to the Sleeper Hold.
• Crazy Fact About Saturday Night’s Main Event Match Times
The final Saturday Night’s Main Event of 2025 wrapped up surprisingly fast.
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes’ clash with NXT Champion Oba Femi ended in a disqualification after Drew McIntyre attacked The American Nightmare. Later in the night, Sol Ruca pulled off an upset victory over Bayley, while World Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Dragon Lee defeated TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater and Je’Von Evans.
Despite the star power across the card, none of the undercard bouts even crossed the 10-minute mark.
The only match given significant time was the main event, where John Cena faced GUNTHER in what was The GOAT’s final match. The bout ran nearly 24 minutes, making it longer than the rest of the card combined. In fact, the three undercard matches together almost equaled Cena’s match time.
Below is how long every match lasted:
– Cody Rhodes vs. Oba Femi: 9:03
– Bayley vs. Sol Ruca: 9:24
– AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs. Je’Von Evans & Leon Slater: 6:26
– John Cena vs. GUNTHER: 23:43
• The White House Reacts To John Cena’s Retirement
John Cena’s retirement tour saw him being the runner-up in the Men’s Royal Rumble match, turning heel to align with The Rock, winning the Undisputed WWE Championship, main eventing WrestleMania and SummerSlam, and becoming a Grand Slam Champion.
He officially retired at Saturday Night’s Main Event at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. after tapping out to GUNTHER’s Sleeper Hold.
Emotional reactions have been pouring in from across the pro wrestling world following the end of the legendary career.
The White House also took to X to quote WWE’s official post of Cena’s final entrance, adding two salute emojis:
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 14, 2025
There was a lot of talk about US President Donald Trump attending Cena’s final match in the months leading up to the event, but that did not happen. His cabinet member, Robert F. Kennedy Jr, was at the event though.
