John Cena’s WWE Career Ends with a Crushing, Humiliating Final Defeat

The WWE legend wrestled his final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, DC. The event took place at Capital One Arena and was attended by more than 19,000 fans. The match closed out Cena’s year-long farewell run with the company. Details from the match were reported during WWE’s live broadcast and post-show coverage.

Cena faced Gunther in his last appearance. The match ended with Cena submitting, a rare result for him. It was only the fourth submission loss of his career and his first time tapping out in more than 20 years.

During the match, Cena tried to fight back using his trademark offense. He hit several of his well-known moves but could not keep Gunther down.

Gunther continued to lock in sleeper holds and slowly wore him out. After escaping multiple times, Cena finally gave in and tapped out while looking straight into the camera. You can check out the highlights on YouTube.

The moment marked Cena’s first submission loss since 2004, when he lost to Kurt Angle.

After the match ended, Gunther left the ring. Soon after, many WWE wrestlers came out to honor Cena. The locker room emptied as stars surrounded the ring to say goodbye. CM Punk and Cody Rhodes both joined Cena and handed him their championship titles as a sign of respect.

The crowd reaction quickly turned angry. Fans loudly booed WWE executive Paul “Triple H” Levesque when he appeared. Chants aimed at him echoed throughout the arena as the crowd showed their frustration with the outcome.

A tribute video then played, showing highlights from Cena’s long career. Wrestlers from different eras appeared in the montage. Footage of former WWE chairman Vince McMahon was also included.

Cena later removed his shoes and wristbands and placed them in the middle of the ring. He took time to acknowledge the fans before heading toward the stage. As he exited, he stopped one final time and addressed the camera.

“It’s been a pleasure serving you all these years, thank you,” Cena said.

Gunther’s win added to a big year for him. Earlier in 2025, he also defeated Bill Goldberg in Goldberg’s final match. Gunther later won the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania before losing it back to Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam. Cena’s final title win came earlier in the year when he defeated Dominik Mysterio in Boston.

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