On Saturday, after a career spanning more than 2,300 matches, the final bell is set to ring for John Cena. The 17-time world champion will face Austrian wrestler Gunther, widely regarded as one of the most impressive and intense superstars in modern WWE, in what will be Cena’s last ever match.
However, the path to Cena’s swan song, despite being announced well over a year ago, has been anything but straightforward or universally acclaimed. What should have been a heartfelt farewell for one of WWE’s most-beloved figures has often felt needlessly convoluted, leaving a vocal segment of fans divided. Yet, in the realm of professional-wrestling retirements, this trajectory feels familiar, as history repeatedly demonstrates that stepping away from the squared circle is rarely a simple affair.
For a wrestler to announce their definitive final match so far in advance is always a bold move. Many of the sport’s all-time greats, such as “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, and The Undertaker, have never officially retired. Instead, they chose to ride off into the sunset on their own terms, returning whenever the timing – and the financial incentive – felt right.
For those who do officially call it a day and hang up their boots, resisting the lure of the wrestling ring often proves easier said than done. Consider Ric Flair, whom many regard as the greatest wrestler of all time. In 2008, he received a near-perfect send-off when he lost to Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24. That emotional encounter, the drama of which WWE has arguably been trying to replicate ever since, culminated in Michaels telling Flair, one of his idols, “I’m sorry, I love you,” before securing the pinfall. The match was critically lauded and praised as a fitting conclusion to Flair’s legendary career.
Despite this, Flair has since returned to the ring nine times, most recently in 2022 for a tag-team contest promoted as “Ric Flair’s Last Match”. Witnessing a 73-year-old struggle to perform anything remotely athletic, even passing out at one stage, was a regrettable sight, sadly tarnishing the legacy of his match 14 years prior.
Perhaps the most-famous example of a wrestler failing to adhere to retirement is the “Hardcore Icon” Terry Funk. The legendary brawler, who influenced figures from CM Punk to Mick Foley, had his first retirement match in 1983 alongside his brother Dory Jr against Stan Hansen and Terry Gordy in All Japan Pro Wrestling. Not only did Funk return to the ring just over a year later, but he would go on to have a storied career and seven more retirement matches against opponents including Bret Hart, Sabu, and Jerry Lawler.
Yet in contrast to Flair’s later attempts to prolong his career, Funk’s persistent desire to wrestle only endeared him further to fans, as his love for the sport was clearly built on something far greater than merely the next pay check. Funk’s final match took place in 2017, six years before his death.
Another recurring issue with pro-wrestling retirements centres on whether the retiree wins or loses their final bout.
In 2024, WCW legend Sting, following a disappointing run in WWE, retired in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) after a stellar tenure with the company and his tag-team partner, Darby Allin. The pair successfully defended their titles against The Young Bucks in Sting’s final match – a chaotic and violent brawl – which was widely regarded as one of the year’s best contests, despite the icon being well into his 60s.
In stark contrast, Kurt Angle, a multi-time WWE Champion and Olympic gold medalist, retired in 2019, losing a short, underwhelming, and poorly-received match against Baron Corbin at WrestleMania 35. The contest was not befitting Angle’s otherwise remarkable career and did little to enhance his legacy or elevate Corbin.
The complexities surrounding retirement matches are not exclusive to North America. Just weeks after Cena’s final bow, his virtual equivalent in Japan, Hiroshi Tanahashi, will conclude his legendary career in New Japan Pro Wrestling on 4 January at the iconic Tokyo Dome. Tanahashi is revered in Japan and considered among the upper echelon of wrestling greats, having delivered numerous stellar matches and memorable feuds.
However, much like Cena, selecting his final opponent has proven challenging. New Japan is not currently blessed with the same depth of top-tier talent it once possessed. While passing the torch to a younger star would be a symbolic gesture, it is unlikely to garner widespread attention. Strong rumours circulated that he might face old rival Shinsuke Nakamura, an unprecedented move given Nakamura’s current employment with WWE. Eventually, it was revealed that Tanahashi’s greatest rival, Kazuchika Okada (now employed by AEW), would be his opponent, revisiting their timeless feud one last time.
Much like Cena’s final match, the road to Tanahashi’s farewell has often felt rushed and disjointed but is slowly building towards a grand crescendo.
Cena’s final year in the sport has felt particularly confusing, largely due to an unconvincing heel turn and a very brief alliance with The Rock and rapper Travis Scott that ultimately led nowhere. In total, it felt more like an experiment that should have been conducted at least 15 years ago and, after six months, was quickly forgotten, allowing Cena to embark on a proper, feel-good farewell tour.
Although matches against old adversaries like Randy Orton, CM Punk and Brock Lesnar failed to fully ignite the desired nostalgia, bouts against talents such as Cody Rhodes, AJ Styles, Sami Zayn, Logan Paul and Dominik Mysterio demonstrated that Cena could still produce great wrestling when required.
So now it culminates in Gunther, and Cena’s final match. On paper, it promises to be a fitting send-off for the legend at Saturday Night’s Main Event, streaming live on Netflix, with peers and notable celebrities likely cheering him on inside Washington DC’s Capital One Arena. Gunther is a dependable opponent, inclined towards the physical, combat-sport element of pro wrestling, as opposed to the bells and whistles that can often turn the spectacle into a circus act.
Does the match need to be good? In short, yes, and with a burgeoning Hollywood career beckoning, it certainly feels like it will be definitive. Yet, as wrestling has proven time and again, the lure of its pomp and circumstance can be too hard for some stars to resist, so don’t be shocked if you see Cena on WWE television again.
Cena, through his better and worse years as a character and wrestler, has been a tremendous ambassador for WWE. If anyone deserves a grand retirement, it’s “Big-Match John”.
John Cena’s final match, and all of Saturday Night’s Main Event, will stream live on Netflix on 13 December.
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