WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Takeaways As John Cena Calls It Quits

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 29: John Cena enters the ring during Survivor Series at Petco Park on November 29, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images)WWE via Getty ImagesIn July 2024, John Cena stood in the middle of the ring at Money in the Bank and proclaimed that his final year would be 2025. It was the end of an era and the beginning of the farewell to one of the most decorated careers in WWE history. At the time, that moment felt far away. Fast-forward 18 months to Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C., and that moment has arrived.Over the past month, WWE hosted a tournament to determine Cena’s final opponent. While the outcome may have felt somewhat telegraphed, which is not necessarily a bad thing, it was Gunther who emerged as the challenger. As the antithesis of the 17-time world champion, Gunther earned the opportunity to face Cena and potentially retire a second wrestling legend in the same year.In typical Cena fashion, however, he made the night about more than just himself. He ensured the event served as a showcase for WWE’s future, with Oba Femi, Je’Von Evans, Leon Slater, and Sol Ruca all featured in prominent matches. They delivered in a big way.The result was an emotional, wild, and fitting night. Fans were given the rare chance to say goodbye to one of the greatest performers of all time while he was still on top. With that, let’s take a look at how it all unfolded.Oba Femi Holds His Own Amid DQ FinishIf you’re just being introduced to this man at Saturday Night’s Main Event, you saw why WWE is so high on Oba Femi. He’s powerful, owns his presence in the ring and can hang with anyone, even while only having two true years of television experience. He will be that guy, one day.MORE FOR YOUBut on this evening, Femi went head to head with the current guy, Cody Rhodes, in an amazing opportunity to showcase what he can do on a stage where more than just your average WWE fan will be watching.And Femi held his own. He was powerful, went move for move, and was very over with the D.C. crowd. He didn’t look a step slow and the moment didn’t seem out of place.The only curveball was when Femi threw Rhodes over the announcer’s desk, legitimately busting open the WWE Champion’s ear, and 2025 has definitely been the year of the ear for him. Blood gushed from the side of Rhodes’ head as he continued on in the match in the ring for another few minutes.That was until WWE pulled the rug out from underneath this match and Drew McIntyre interfered to cause a disqualification, something that probably should’ve been seen coming since Rhodes nor Femi could really afford a loss on this big stage. That doesn’t mean it’s a justified finish and more so an indication of WWE booking themselves into a corner with the finish if they didn’t feel comfortable with either man losing.Femi went toe to toe with McIntyre afterward, though, since it was logical for him to be annoyed with having his opportunity squandered. And the NXT Champion did not look out of place doing this either, and it sets up a readymade feud for whenever he gets to the main roster full-time, with someone as pedigreed and with the stature of the Scotsman.So overall, a successful match and segment for the rising star, albeit with a lackluster ending, but an overall feeling of wanting more.Sol Ruca Snatches The SpotlightSol Ruca was arguably the least mainstream of the four young stars competing at Saturday Night’s Main Event, which created a perfect opportunity for the NXT standout to introduce herself to a broader audience against one of WWE’s top veterans, Bayley.Among the NXT showcase matches, this one felt the most true to its purpose. It allowed Ruca to highlight the athleticism that makes her unique, from the clean back handspring over the ropes onto Bayley to a spectacular DDT and her Soul Snatcher finisher, which remains one of the most eye-catching finishing moves in WWE today.For the most part, Bayley took a backseat in this match, which felt intentional and appropriate. She served as the ideal foil, allowing Ruca to shine, particularly given their contrasting styles. The approach paid off, as Ruca went from a mild reaction during her entrance to being fully over with the crowd by the end.This was simply great business for what the match was designed to accomplish. Ruca should be on the main roster sometime in early 2026.A High-Speed Showcase Of WWE’s Present And FutureThis was a fast-paced, car-crash style match that went 100 miles per hour from the opening bell, which is exactly the style Je’Von Evans and Leon Slater bring. Both are spectacular high-flyers at just 21 years old, and neither ever shrinks from the moment when placed in these big spots. Slater earned his opportunity at NXT Deadline, while Evans has already fought Gunther at Madison Square Garden and faced, and defeated, The Miz on SmackDown just one night earlier.AJ Styles held up well alongside the younger high-flyers, and Dragon Lee has enjoyed a strong spotlight over the past few months working with The Phenomenal One. This felt like the perfect stage for Lee to shine under the bright lights on Saturday night.Styles may very well be the next major name nearing retirement, having previously said that 2026 could be his final year. That made his presence on this show feel fitting, especially given his history as one of John Cena’s greatest rivals.20 Years Later, John Cena Finally Gives UpNot for 20 years had John Cena actually tapped out or given up. “Never Give Up” was stitched onto his gear from the moment that slogan defined him to his final match on Saturday night. So WWE put him in the ring with the ultimate foil, a man who does not make people quit so much as break them down piece by piece: Gunther.For the next half hour, Cena took fans on an emotional ride, delivering his final Attitude Adjustments, including an avalanche version that Michael Cole even referred to by its original name deep into the match, along with the last Five Knuckle Shuffles of his career. In between, he was chopped, elbowed, and brutalized by The Ring General for most of the bout, steadily worn down the same way Gunther has dismantled every opponent he’s faced.And for most of it, Cena fought through. It was expert storytelling, showing resilience, survival, and a man clinging to the moniker that had defined his entire career while his body slowly betrayed him.Then came the final act. Cena and Gunther traded Attitude Adjustment attempts for sleeper holds, with each one lasting longer than the last. Over the final five minutes, the 17-time world champion could barely stay conscious.Before cutting to the finish, it’s worth noting this was the crowd WWE always wanted for Cena. They booed the villain relentlessly, chanted “don’t give up” in unison, and gave Cena full, unwavering support in a way he never truly received during his prime. It took 20 years to get here, and it was the perfect atmosphere for a John Cena match. If only the booking had allowed for this dynamic earlier in his career.But back to the match. Cena flashed a brief smirk and gently tapped out. Watching at home, you almost had to do a double take. It’s simply not an image fans are conditioned to see: John Cena, after all these years, tapping out and giving up. The smile felt deliberate, almost reflective, reminiscent of Don Draper in the final season of Mad Men. He felt at peace and ready to move on.You could hear a pin drop.Cena lay on his back and put over a rising star on his way out, and the crowd despised it. Truly despised it.Going into the match, there were only two outcomes: Cena staying true to “Never Give Up” or finally abandoning it. Traditionally, the retiring wrestler puts someone over on the way out, no matter how beloved they are. But the crowd wanted no part of that logic. And frankly, it’s fair to question whether it was the right call when you had a molten-hot audience that paid a premium to see Cena win one last time.What complicates that debate is something we may never know: whether this was Cena’s decision. If he wanted to go out this way, the discussion largely ends there. But that may never be made public, and that uncertainty lingers.Still, viewed purely through a storytelling lens, this was ultimately the right ending. It tells the story of Cena aging out, no longer able to push that final mile against a younger generation. That reality is the reason partially the reason he’s stepping away. It isn’t popular, but it works, and it cements Gunther as this era’s definitive legend killer and the guy who made Cena tap out. Why again did he submit to Jey Uso, though?The crowd, however, was having none of it. Expletive-filled chants echoed through the arena as WWE executives and top stars came down to the ring. Triple H, in particular, was booed relentlessly whenever the camera found him, with the clear message that the crowd wanted Cena to win.One of the more memorable post-match moments came when Cody Rhodes and CM Punk handed Cena the WWE Championship and World Heavyweight Championship, giving him the chance to hold both titles one final time as he paraded around the ring.The video montage that played before he exited the ring was also a nice touch, serving as a heartfelt tribute and a final walk through a career that defined an era.Cena then left his shoes and armbands in the ring, walked up the ramp, and said goodbye.It was a sad ending to the match but a fitting sendoff. It wasn’t a picture-perfect, happy-go-lucky conclusion, but one that felt representative of what Cena wanted this moment to be: less about himself and more about the future of the industry. And with that being the case for the past month, should the way this ended really have come as a surprise?