5 Takeaways After John Cena’s Final Match

HIGHLIGHTS

• John Cena tapped out to Gunther in a 24-minute war—and the decision to go out that way says everything about who he is.
• The crowd turned on Triple H hard after the finish—here’s why Cena addressing it publicly matters.
• Oba Femi’s two-day run with Cody Rhodes was a star-making sequence—the details confirm WWE’s long-term plans.
• Sol Ruca got the clean win over Bayley—what that says about WWE’s confidence in her future.

John Cena did it for the business. If anyone in the history of professional wrestling would have the sway to go against the grain and decide to win their farewell match, it’s Cena.

He didn’t call in that favor. He didn’t play that card. Cena took the L and put Gunther over in a manner that far exceeds any title run the Ring General will ever have in his career. I have a total of five huge takeaways, but the first one is: Cena is the G.O.A.T and it’s not debatable.

WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Full Results

• Gunther def. John Cena via submission (23:44)
• Cody Rhodes def. Oba Femi via disqualification (Champion vs. Champion)
• Sol Ruca def. Bayley
• AJ Styles & Dragon Lee def. Je’Von Evans & Leon Slater .

Oba Femi’s Two-Day Star-Making Sequence

Oba Femi’s SmackDown face-off with Cody Rhodes was widely framed as a breakout “can he hang?” moment on the mic. He interrupted the Undisputed WWE Champion, quoted John Cena’s “my time is now” line to his face, and held his ground without getting swallowed up by Rhodes’ usual promo presence.

Then he backed it up at SNME. The match with Cody was competitive, physical, and the finish protected him completely—Rhodes won via DQ after Drew McIntyre’s interference, not a clean pin.

That’s exactly the kind of booking that signals WWE sees Femi as a long-term top-of-the-card prospect rather than a one-off challenger.

Sol Ruca Made a Statement

Sol Ruca beating Bayley clean is significant. Bayley has repeatedly been used as the established veteran who makes new stars, but she doesn’t lose clean often. For WWE to give Ruca that finish says a lot about their confidence in her trajectory.

Ruca’s athleticism is otherworldly—the surfing-and-acrobatics hybrid offense, the smooth selling, the Sol Snatcher finisher that pops crowds every time she hits it.

Her on-mic persona is still a work in progress compared to her in-ring ability, but the tools are there. This was the statement win she needed. She could become the biggest female star in the industry and one of the biggest overall.

The Tag Match Didn’t Hit the Hype

Je’Von Evans and Leon Slater were hyped as two of the brightest young high-flyers in WWE. The go-home coverage expected their tag match with AJ Styles and Dragon Lee to be a showcase with “don’t blink” sequences and near-fall drama.

The actual bout was solid but felt more like a standard SmackDown tag than the extended, almost-win-heavy star-making vehicle many anticipated.

Styles and Lee won decisively via Styles Clash to Slater. While Evans and Slater got their spots in, the match slotted into the middle of the card without the breakout energy the billing suggested.

The Crowd’s Reaction to Triple H Matters

When Triple H walked to the ring after the main event, the crowd let him have it. “You f***ed up” chants rang through the Capital One Arena. That’s not ideal for the guy running the show, even if the decision to have the GOAT tap was almost certainly Cena’s idea.

This is why transparency helps. A quick acknowledgement from Cena—on Raw, in an interview, anywhere—that putting Gunther over by submission was his choice would go a long way.

It underlines how willingly he passed the torch and protects Triple H from becoming the scapegoat for a finish that was designed to elevate the next generation.

What does the post-Cena WWE look like? Hopefully, it’ll lead to the emergence of a star (or stars) who shine at least half as bright as Cena.