WWE No Mercy 2017: 3 Things We Learned
By Tim Sherry
credit: wwe.com
2. John Cena’s Farewell Tour Is Officially Underway
After 22 minutes of back and forth, underwhelming wrestling in the John Cena/Roman Reigns match Sunday night, “The Big Dog” reigned supreme. And after Cena respectfully raised Reigns’ arm in victory, “Big Match John” sat quietly in the center of the ring as his conqueror walked out to a chorus of boos. After Regins’ music ended, Cena was alone with the WWE fans in the Staples Center and in a show of their own respect, the fans gave him a nice send-off, cheering and thanking the 16-time world champion for all his contributions over the past 15 years.
So the question now has to be asked. Why would Cena wait in the ring and get what essentially was a goodbye from the L.A. crowd? Well the answer seems somewhat simple. This may be the last time these particular fans see Cena live as a full-time performer. In the post-No Mercy Raw Talk, Cena essentially alluded to the fact that his time as a full-time worker could be coming to an end sooner rather than later. It makes sense. He’s 40 years old and has accomplished more than any other wrestler in WWE history. Factor in that he most likely has some more Hollywood gigs in his future, and it seems that Cena may be setting up his farewell tour.
So where does Cena go from here? He put Reigns over Sunday night, and with about six months until WrestleMania, which would be a perfect spot to work one more big one before going into “per diem” status, one has to wonder how one of the all-time greats wants to go out. He does still have that pesky record-breaking 17th world championship to still attain, and it seems logical that he’ll get it at some point. But one things for sure, if the crowds in his final months treat him the way The Staples Center did Sunday, this could be a very fun conclusion to an immaculate career.