Here’s the 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.
John Cena’s Father Not Happy With How His Son Retired From WWE
The way John Cena’s final WWE match ended has been criticized by his own father. While John Cena Sr. acknowledged the tradition of wrestlers “going out on their back,” Cena Sr. questioned the decision to have his son tap out to GUNTHER at Saturday Night’s Main Event, calling the finish weak.
Speaking with Bill Apter, Cena Sr. admitted that he would have done the ending differently, even if it meant the same winner. Cena’s father said he saw the emotional audience reaction, but he thought the finish could have been stronger for everyone involved. He pointed out that Cena’s tap out was “light” and looked more like a final try to break the hold than a full surrender.
Cena Sr. stated that he would have preferred to see his son pass out instead. He explained that if GUNTHER had kept the hold on, Cena could have blacked out entirely, which would have still given GUNTHER the win without a tap out, saying: “I think it would have been better to go that way than how it kind of went.”
Despite the backlash from fans and now Cena’s father, Triple H defended the booking on the Saturday Night’s Main Event post-show. He stood by the decision completely, saying Cena spent his career talking about “leaving this place better than he found it.” Triple H made it clear he doesn’t care about the criticism and that fans will understand it soon.
Also Read: GUNTHER Set To Retire Another Legend After John Cena
