John Cena’s Farewell WWE Loss Sparks Fan Backlash

I figured John Cena would get an emotional curtain call. Instead, his final match ended with a jolt, boos rained down, and the goodbye video got swallowed by the crowd. Here is how Cena’s last night in WWE actually played out.

The setup

WWE put Cena’s farewell in the main event of Saturday Night’s Main Event, capping a yearlong world tour in Washington, DC. The opponent: Gunther. The stakes: Cena’s last time between the ropes.

The finish nobody expected

Cena fought hard, but Gunther locked in a rear naked choke and forced a tap. That’s not just a clean loss; that is Cena’s first submission defeat since 2004. The building went quiet for a beat, then the mood turned fast.

After the bell: respect in the ring, fury in the seats

A bunch of WWE stars hit the ring to honor him. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon led the tribute, while CM Punk and Cody Rhodes laid their world titles on Cena’s chest as a show of respect. On paper, that is a perfect visual.

In reality, the crowd aimed their anger straight at the boss. Triple H got loudly booed during the initial in-ring salute, then again when he came back to introduce a video celebrating Cena’s 23-year run. People on X claimed it sounded like 20,000-plus fans drowning him out. Whether that number is exact or not, you could feel the rejection from the seats.

Online reaction: disappointment on full blast

Fans on X were blunt. Some said the match felt flat and missing the drama you want from a legend’s last ride. Others couldn’t believe the company built a full year to end on a tap-out. One post summed up the mood:

"A whole year build up for John Cena to lose his last match."

Another common sentiment: no blood, no wild spots, no swerve; just a straightforward finish that read as Cena saying 'I’m done' without the fireworks. A few even argued Cena’s WrestleMania match with Cody delivered a stronger final chapter than this did.

Cena’s quiet sign-off

No big speech from John. Just an Instagram post: a photo of his gear left in the ring. Simple, and pretty devastating if you’ve watched him for years.

Why this landed so hard with fans

• It was Cena’s last match after a yearlong farewell tour, set up as a big-time main event in DC.
• The finish was a tap-out to Gunther’s rear naked choke — Cena’s first submission loss since 2004.
• No twists or chaos; fans expected a dramatic exclamation point, not a quiet period.
• Tribute optics were strong (roster in the ring, Punk and Cody placing their titles on him), but the audience booed Triple H throughout, overshadowing the ceremony.
• The video package celebrating Cena’s 23-year WWE career got hit with more boos, worsening the vibe.
• For a 17-time world champion, many felt the final beat didn’t match the buildup.

Whether you loved the clean, old-school pass-the-torch approach or hated the anticlimax, that was the last page of John Cena’s WWE story. The book is closed — just not the ending a lot of people thought they’d get.