The Pro Wrasslin' Thread (WWE, WWF, WCW, TNA, ROH, NWA, NJPW, etc)

[PAOerfulone]

So that's it.

That's the end of John Cena's career.

A lot of people have a lot of negative opinions regarding Cena tapping out to end his career - The guy who preached and lived "Never Give Up!" gave up and that's how his career ends.

I may be alone in this here, but I thought it was brilliant! I thought it was beautiful and poetic.

Because it wasn't so much about Cena giving up as it was about him letting go.
John Cena is DONE. He's finished. He has nothing left. It's over. After an amazing, incredible, 26-year career and a run on top unlike any other. With the exception of Bruno Sammartino and Hulk Hogan, nobody else has had the long run on top the way Cena had. For a good 10-12 years from 2005-2016/17, John Cena was THE guy. For better or worse, he was The Man. And there are multiple generations of wrestling fans now for the last 20+ years, whether diehard, casual, or not even fans, who any time they think of WWE or pro wrestling in general - They think of John Cena.

And regardless of how big of a star he was compared to some of the stars and top guys that came before him (Hogan, Austin, Rock, Bruno, Backlund, Sting, Flair, etc.) None of those guys were as giving of themselves and as willing to put over everyone on his way out the way Cena was - Which in my opinion adds to his legacy and gives him an edge over those other guys. Regardless of your take on this retirement tour and how well executed or lack thereof it was, one thing that's not up for debate is how much Cena was willing to give of himself to put the other guy over. From Jey Uso, to Cody Rhodes, to Dom Mysterio, to Gunther. And even before the tour, from guys like Austin Theory to Solo Sikoa (The booking of those guys afterwards is another thing entirely.)

That was the whole point of this tour was for him to give back everything this business gave to him in the last 26 years of his life. Cena's love and passion for wrestling is as genuine as it comes and he understands the old-school mentality of putting over the other guy on his way out and leaving the place better than you found it. And he knows that, at 48 years old, he is not the same wrestler or even human being, physically, he was in his prime. He's weaker, he's slower, he's less explosive, he's not as athletic or agile, he's not as durable. His best days as a performer are way behind him. It doesn't make sense for him to be trying to hang with the younger guys and desperately trying to hang on to his former glory - That's how you end up with cases like Ric Flair in TNA, or Chris Jericho nowadays, or post-Streak Undertaker. Wrestling retirements are about as legitimate as a stripper's cup size because of guys who are battered, broken, sad shells of themselves tarnishing their legacy every time they try desperately to cling to their past and passion because they can't let go. And that's another reason why I think having him tap out and actually submit in his final match is the PERFECT send-off... Now whenever Cena says he's done - I believe him! Because that truly felt like "The End." There is no angle being played here. There is no vignette. There is no "out." There is no tease. No rematch clause. No title shot. No redemption arc. Nothing whatsoever that could even hint or elude to that fabled "One More Match." That's it. It's over. There is nothing more "Final" than the guy who never gives up - giving up. 

And that's ok.

Like I said, it's not so much about giving up as it is about letting go. Cena has nothing to be ashamed of. He gave wrestling everything he had and can now be content with walking away. That smile just before he tapped - That was a shoot. That was him being at peace with everything. Content and satisfied with everything he did in his career, all he accomplished, and how hard he worked, and knowing that this was the finish line and that there was only one thing left to do. That match with Gunther, especially that final sequence where he was fighting that sleeper for as long as he possibly could, doing everything to try and fight out of it and find a way to keeping going - Is a metaphor for his career. How long he fought, he hard he fought, and everything he did to keep going and keep pushing farther and farther. But Father Time is undefeated. Sooner or later, it's going to get you. And just like Cena decided it was time to let go when he made the announcement last year, he decided it was time to let go here and just submit.

And for the talks about the "Make-a-Wish" kids and how much of a role model he is to children and how him giving up is like a slap in the face to them or teaches them the wrong lesson - Because I've seen that argument too. Wouldn't it make more sense to teach those kids, ESPECIALLY the Make-a-Wish kids, that it's better to give it everything you have and live to the fullest extent possible so that when the time finally comes to let go and face the end, something we ALL have to do at some point - You can do so with a smile on your face and no regrets? Because I hate to break it to you, but a good chunk of those Make-a-Wish kids don't make it. And the ones that do will struggle in life, just like the rest of us struggle in life. And sooner or later, death is going to get us. The final destination will always be the same - So don't worry so much about the destination and just make the most of the journey getting there. So that once you do reach that destination, you can look back on the journey with pride, honor, and respect and smile - Just like John Cena.

So yeah, many may disagree with the finish. But I thought it was a perfect way to end John Cena's career.

Last edited by PAOerfulone - on 14 December 2025