John Cena’s Last Match Reaction: Grading Cena’s Expensive And Polarizing Retirement Tour

John Cena vs. Logan Paul in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. WWEJohn Cena’s retirement tour has come to an end with just a few weeks left in 2025. In what was a bumpy ride to begin with, Cena’s last match saw an ugly ending when the 17-time world champion tapped out to Gunther. This shocking result elicited chants of “B.S.” and “you f—ked up” directed at Triple H. This was not “good heat” being transferred to Gunther—who hardly needed the win. It was an indictment on Triple H’s (and possibly John Cena’s) real-life booking decision to have Cena tap out in his last match. This despite desperate chants of “don’t give up!” from the Capital One Arena. All for an average price of almost $900.Fans sat in stunned silence at the conclusion of Cena’s last match. Children were shown in tears. These kids just discovered John Cena early into their lives. But on this night, WWE may have inadvertently taught them that it’s actually okay to give up. How many villain origin stories were created as part of John Cena’s final match? John Cena’s last match will forever establish Cena’s final year as creatively polarizing at best. But from a business standpoint, Cena’s retirement tour was was a box-office bonanza filled with merch flying off the shelves almost as fast as sky high ticket prices. John Cena’s “Last Time is Now” tour has been a story of supply and demand. Fortunately for WWE, there seemed to be no end to the demand for John Cena during a memorable victory lap. The creative grade for John Cena’s last run operates under an entirely different set of rules than the commercial grade for Cena. Commercially, the hype for John Cena’s retirement was an A+. Cena’s retirement tour has been a cash cow, from ticket sales to the city of Washington, D.C. bidding on the rights to hold Cena’s last match in the Capital One Arena. The financial success for Cena’s swan song actually serves as a reminder of what WWE will lose after Cena hangs up his jorts for good. John Cena’s Worth To WWE And Why Logan Paul Is His Replacement Sports finance expert Dr. Rob Wilson talked to Vegasinsider.com the amount of money WWE is set to lose in John Cena’s absence, which he estimated is in the neighborhood of $70 million. MORE FOR YOU“Cena remains a high-impact performer for peak events such as major international tours and premium live shows,” said Dr. Wilson. "His absence from regular competition likely reduces the company’s revenue upside by roughly $40-70 million per year, though his ambassadorial presence helps retain some brand influence."Wilson noted that Logan Paul is the closet thing to John Cena’s commercial successor as WWE begins life after Cena. "Logan Paul is Cena's commercial successor in WWE. He brings global digital attention, crossover appeal and sponsor-friendly visibility. Cody Rhodes and Roman Reigns remain foundational for story and ticket sales, but Logan provides the external reach that major partners increasingly seek." Average Cost Of John Cena’s Retirement Tour With WWE ticket prices rising in the TKO Era, John Cena’s retirement tour saw one of the more extreme examples of the type of money WWE is making on some of its most high-profile live events. Financial data from Canadasportsbetting.com shows astronomical prices for tickets, premium seats and lodging. The average ticket price for a single person attending John Cena’s last match is $866.98 USD.The average Airbnb during the weekend of December 12-14 is $300.06 USD. The average hotel stay on Booking.com is $357.25 USD. The total on-ground costs for two (accommodation, tickets, food and drink excluding flight tickets) is $2,612 USD.Grading John Cena’s Retirement Tour CreativelyJohn Cena’s retirement tour will forever be the subject of polarizing discussion. Cena’s final year as a WWE Superstar saw a combination of good, bad, ugly and nostalgia. Cena’s heel turn was excellent. The follow-up was anything but as Cena was forced to prematurely turn babyface after fans refused to boo Heel Cena in his last run. Cena had an unforgettable match against AJ Styles at Crown Jewel in Australia. The two legends turned back the clock to write a love letter to WWE filled with vintage spots paying homage to opponents of Cena’s past. This instant classic felt like pro wrestling comfort food. Cena’s retirement was filled with impromptu moments, not just his course-correction of a babyface turn, but also the return of R-Truth who was unceremoniously fired from WWE before resurfacing at Money in the Bank and briefly feuding with Cena. Cena chose to focus on the future toward the end of his run. Cena lost his final two matches against Dominik Mysterio and Gunther, each of whom have yet to headline a WrestleMania but will likely do so several times when all is said and done. Gunther earned his last match as part of a Last Time is Now Tournament featuring familiar faces from the past, present and future of WWE. Juxtaposed against AEW’s confusing, clumsy, convoluted and injury-plagued C2 tournament, Cena’s Last Time is Now tourney stood out as far more meaningful and memorable. Wrestling fans are almost never satisfied, especially in the age of social media. But, in Cena’s last match, WWE objectively fumbled the landing given the loud rejection of the result. John Cena’s retirement tour was far from perfect. It was never going to be. The highs were very low, and the lows were almost apocalyptic. WWE rolled with the punches as best as it could. WWE curated Cena’s retirement to make fans happy, regardless of what WWE initially thought was best for its fanbase. Unfortunately, Cena’s final match was yet another example of WWE being out-of-step with what fans actually wanted out of John Cena’s sendoff. For me, there were far more good moments than bad, but the bad moments will have an inescapable chokehold of the narrative.John Cena Retirement Tour Grade: C+