John Cena didnât want his retirement night turned into a two-hour tribute dedicated solely to his career. The idea had been rumored at the time but had never been officially confirmed.
In the third season of WWE: Unreal, which premiered Tuesday on Netflix, Triple H confirmed that Cena himself suggested the December 13, 2025 Saturday Nightâs Main Event also serve as a showcase for new talent.
âHe wanted the whole last show to be lifting up the future of the business,â Triple H said.
Paul "Triple H" Levesque confirms that John Cena pitched for the show that featured his final match to be about opportunity for others and not revolving around him #WWEUnrealpic.twitter.com/Jv74ffbF5u
That approach led to matches that werenât initially envisioned for the card, including Cody Rhodes vs. Oba Femi, Bayley vs. Sol Ruca, and AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs. JeâVon Evans & Leon Slater. Ruca picked up the biggest win of her career to that point, while Femi turned in a strong showing against the then-Undisputed WWE Champion.
In the main event, Gunther defeated Cena by submission. Even at the close of a career spanning more than two decades, the rest of the card reinforced the idea Cena had pushed for.
