• “People were crying like somebody passed away” – WWE Hall Of Famer On Backstage Atmosphere After John Cena’s Retirement
John Cena’s legendary WWE career came to an emotional end at Saturday Night’s Main Event. The sight of The GOAT submitting to GUNTHER sent shockwaves through the pro wrestling world and marked the close of an unforgettable era.
Emotions were running extremely high backstage following the match. On Busted Open Radio, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry revealed that a large group of people were waiting to share a moment with Cena after his final bout, describing the atmosphere as deeply emotional.
“I walked through the back and there was a line of about 30 or 40 people waiting to get to John to hug him and console him. We gave the salute and I kept going.”
Henry went on to compare the mood backstage to a moment of real loss.
“The last time I’ve seen people crying and emotional like that was when somebody passed away. John is still alive and well. He’s going to Hollywood. He’s going to make some incredible films. You’re going to keep seeing him on commercials and ads. He’s not going away, he’s just going away from the ring.”
• Elderly WWE Fan Suffers Heart Attack After John Cena’s Loss To GUNTHER
The final Saturday Night’s Main Event of 2025 delivered one of the most shocking moments in pro wrestling history. John Cena, the man who for decades preached “never give up,” was forced to tap out to GUNTHER’s punishing Sleeper Hold, leaving the live crowd and fans worldwide stunned.
The ending sparked a furious reaction from WWE fans at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C, who directed chants at Chief Content Officer Triple H, including “We want Vince”, “You f—ed up”, “Baldie”, “We don’t care”, “LA Knight”, “AEW”, “F— you Baldie”, “F— Triple H” and “You f—ed up.”
The backlash continued online, with one fan wishing death on The Game. He tweeted:
“That n**** Triple H should’ve died as a baby.”
Another fan replied to him and claimed that the shocking finish led to his grandmother being hospitalized due to a heart attack.
“MY GRANDMA DEAD$$ HAD A HEART ATTACK BC CENA LOST TRIPLE H SHOULD BE SUED.”
He also shared a photo of an ambulance in the replies.
— Roosevelt Newbold (@lolurbutt) December 14, 2025
On the post show of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Triple H stated that he did what’s best for the company and fans will understand it soon. The Game reportedly had a smile on his face backstage when Cena submitted to GUNTHER.
