While discussing John Cena’s retirement on his podcast, former WWF/WCW/TNA writer Vince Russo questioned how Triple H has managed to keep his position after what Russo described as a disastrous stretch of creative decisions surrounding Cena’s farewell run.
Russo framed the issue as bigger than just one match, arguing that the booking of Cena’s final year reflects a larger failure at the top: “How can anybody look at this booking of John Cena’s farewell tour from day one to what we saw over the weekend? How can anybody look at the entire picture and say, ‘How in God’s name does Triple H not get fired?’”
He repeatedly emphasized that, in his view, Cena was never allowed to truly shine during his retirement run. He challenged fans to name a single defining moment where Cena was protected or elevated. “Name me one spot. Name me one time when Cena shined during this,” Russo said. He pointed out that Cena lost his final two matches and was beaten down repeatedly, adding, “The idea of Cena losing his last two matches is a joke.”
A major point of outrage for Russo was the decision to have Cena tap out in his final match, something he argued directly contradicted Cena’s lifelong “Never Give Up” message: “What does Triple H do? He freaking has the guy who never gives up, give up. The complete opposite of what should have been done,” especially given Cena’s long association with Make-A-Wish and children who saw him as a symbol of perseverance.
Russo went even further by suggesting that the finish may have originated from Cena himself as an unselfish idea, but that it was management’s responsibility to stop it: “You’ll get that one talent who is unselfish… and they’ll throw out, ‘Okay, Gunther’s gonna put me in the sleeper and I’m gonna tap out.’ They’re waiting for somebody to say, ‘John, we’re not doing that.’ Nobody back there said no.”
He contrasted Triple H’s leadership with how Vince McMahon would have handled the situation, insisting the outcome never would have been approved in the past. “Vince McMahon would have said absolutely positively no freaking way,” Russo said, arguing that Cena quitting undermined two decades of character consistency.
Russo also accused Triple H of inserting himself into Cena’s farewell in ways that felt self-serving, mocking moments where attention shifted away from Cena. He described it as “an ego stroke inside of their own bubble,” suggesting that the creative focus was misplaced during what should have been a singular celebration of Cena’s career.
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