John Cena’s WWE Career Ends in a Brutal, Humiliating Defeat as He Retires from the Ring

The longtime face of the company wrestled his final match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, DC. The show took place at Capital One Arena and drew more than 19,000 fans. The match closed out a retirement run that lasted an entire year.

Cena faced Gunther in his last bout. The match ended with Cena submitting, marking a rare moment in his career. It was only the fourth time he has ever tapped out and the first time he has done so in more than two decades.

Throughout the match, Cena tried to fight back using his well-known moves. They were not enough. Gunther locked in repeated sleeper holds and wore him down. After escaping several times, Cena eventually gave in and submitted. The moment was captured clearly as he looked toward the camera before tapping out.

The loss marked Cena’s first submission defeat since 2004, when he tapped out against Kurt Angle. You can check out the highlights on YouTube.

After the match, Gunther left the ring. Soon after, many WWE stars came out to honor Cena. CM Punk and Cody Rhodes both entered the ring and handed him their championship titles as a sign of respect.

Not everyone in the arena was happy with how the night ended. Fans loudly booed WWE executive Paul “Triple H” Levesque when he appeared. Chants aimed at him echoed through the building as the crowd showed clear frustration.

A video package then played, showing moments from Cena’s long career. Wrestlers from different eras were featured. A clip of former WWE chairman Vince McMahon also appeared.

Cena then removed his gear and placed it in the middle of the ring. He took time to acknowledge the crowd before walking toward the stage. As he made his exit, he stopped one last time and spoke directly to the fans.

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

With that, the cameras faded out. Gunther’s win added to a strong year for him. Earlier in 2025, he also defeated Bill Goldberg in what turned out to be Goldberg’s final match. Gunther later won the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania before losing it back to Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam. Cena’s last title reign came earlier when he beat Dominik Mysterio in Boston.

Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!