Brian Damage
This Week in Wrestling: Week 51 of 2025
Did We Cena-nuff?
A lot of talk in the wrestling world this past week has been the last match of John Cena’s career that took place last Saturday. Many fans were absolutely outraged that Cena not only lost the match, but tapped out doing it. Most of the blame fell on the shoulders of the booker/creative director or whatever fancy title they give Triple H these days. Instead of letting the fans go home happy that John Cena won his final time in the ring as a wrestler, they were dejected that he lost to Gunther.
Personally, I was shocked like many other fans watching. I truly believed he would leave the ring going over Gunther. At first, I absolutely hated the decision to make him lose. I mean, to hell with “Time Honored Traditions” and all that old school nonsense. This was John Cena. He literally was the face of WWE for over two decades. A lot of that time, he carried the entire company on his shoulders when nobody else could. You would think that the company would treat him a lot better than they did.
Then of course, we heard reports or rumors that Cena decided his own fate. He was the one who made the call to job to Gunther and put him over. Even if that were true, Triple H still had the final say creatively. Those fans in attendance paid thousands of dollars to be there live and to allow them to go home angry, seemed counter productive. Overall, I think Triple H did a horrible job in booking Cena’s Farewell Tour in 2025. A nonsensical heel turn, then jumping back to babyface without a real explanation, jobbing to Brock Lesnar etc.
With all that said, I have thought about it and maybe…just maybe John Cena losing was actually a good thing. Gunther has been made into the ultimate villain, something that he really didn’t have despite being pushed to the moon previously. Gunther now has nuclear heat and has been positioned as the company’s top heel. Something WWE lacks right now are real credible heel characters. A wrestler that fans truly despise.
Having Gunther do a stare down with AJ Styles, who is retiring next year was brilliantly done. Seeing as Gunther already retired Goldberg and Cena, it came off as AJ is next. It also got fans talking at great lengths about the company. As Vince McMahon seemed to believe, good or bad publicity is still publicity and puts a spotlight on WWE moving forward. Many people thought that the Montreal Screwjob was going to severely hurt them, but as history showed, that wasn’t the case at all.
In a way, Michael Cole’s commentary put a bow on this whole situation when he said “Professional Wrestling just destroyed Sports Entertainment.” This match was not only Cena passing the torch to the superstars of today, it also signified the end of Vince McMahon’s era in WWE. John Cena was the last remnant of Vince’s vision of what the business should be. Sports entertainment unofficially ended this past Saturday. A new era has begun for the company. Will it succeed? Only time will tell.
Photo Gallery
Congratulations to Marc Mero on getting re-married!
Ric Flair kicks!
“If what I’m hearing is true…Poor Walter!”
That’s gotta be Cane!?!
It’s Maaaaay Austin…It was Maaaaaay all along!
Kendra Lust 4 Life
The Warrior’s widow Dana along with their daughter Mattigan…
Mandy Rose
John Cena’s wife Shay
Kayla Braxton
Elektra Lopez
Lacey Evans
Mandy Leon
Brooke Adams
Video Gallery
In 1984, Andre the Giant filmed a commercial for Labatt beer in his native French language…
DynamiteBillington
I really don’t understand why people were upset or surprised about how that Cena/Gunther match ended. Gunther even told us that was how it was going to end.
Cena giving up was inevitable.