Why WWE Legend Smiled Before Tapping Out in Retirement Match

WWE legend John Cena has revealed the real reason why he smiled before tapping out to Gunther in his retirement match. The 17-time world champion took his final bow inside the ring at last weekend’s Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Cena’s farewell match saw him take on former two-time World Heavyweight Champion, Gunther. ‘The Ring General’ ultimately secured the victory after locking John in his trademark sleeperhold submission. After a period of struggling to escape the hold, a smirk came across Cena’s face before he tapped out to bring the curtain down on one of the most iconic careers in WWE history.

Fans in attendance at the Capital One Arena in Washington DC were furious about the finish. For two decades, Cena’s career had been built around his mantra of ‘Never Give Up,’ which made seeing him do exactly the opposite of that in his final match a hugely controversial move.

The Finish of Cena vs Gunther was Massively Unpopular Among WWE Fans

WWE Chief Content Officer, Paul ‘Triple’ H’ Levesque was on the receiving end of much of the fan backlash about the Cena vs Gunther match. It now seems, though, that ‘The Game’ may have been unfairly blamed.

However, amid all the criticism, Cena has now addressed the moment in detail, explaining both the symbolism behind the ending of the bout and the reason he was so passionate about it.

Just days after his final match, the 48-year-old appeared on Cody Rhodes’ What Do You Want To Talk About?’ podcast, where he referred to his clash with Gunther as “something beautiful”.

Cena went on to tell Rhodes:

“Saturday [‘s match with Gunther] far exceeded whatever was in my heart and soul. I know I’m out there one last time. I’m out there, and they hate the guy I’m working with. They universally cheer me. That is f****** rare.

“Everything I preach about story, drama, and having a conversation with the audience…the ones I love are in the front row, I know my colleagues are watching on the monitor in the back.”

John Cena Reveals Why He Smiled Before Tapping Out to Gunther

The conversation between Cena and Rhodes swiftly turned to the finish of the match. While explaining the smile on his face in the bout’s closing moments, Cena drew a powerful comparison to an obituary, admitting that the expression was meant to convey the idea that “this person died peacefully,” symbolising calm acceptance and closure as his legendary career came to an end.

The veteran Superstar explained: “You think of somebody, the natural causes scenario or however we picture loss in our life, all of us have been through it. They struggle and struggle, but they hang on just long enough to make sure to say goodbye to everyone that is meaningful in their lives.

Cena has repeatedly insisted that he won’t go back on his retirement vow, as so many in professional wrestling have previously done. Wanting to show respect to fans who parted with thousands of dollars to watch his final match live, John has no plans to ever step foot back between the ropes as an active competitor.

In terms of accomplishments, Cena retires as one of the most decorated WWE Superstars ever. His WWE Championship victory over Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 back in April saw him surpass Ric Flair’s record for most world championship reigns in company history [17]. A sure-fire future Hall of Famer, Cena became a Grand Slam champion by defeating Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship during the final few weeks of his career.