The wrestling world is a few months away from John Cena’s final match. When December 31, 2025, hits, he will hang up the jorts once and for all. We’ve known this moment was coming since it was announced last year. But no one could have predicted this final run would be as bad as it has been. Only WWE is to blame, regardless of if the promotion tries to spin the idea in the other direction.
WWE kicked off its partnership with ESPN on Saturday, September 20, bringing the fans the first edition of a new PLE called Wrestlepalooza. The show started with Brock Lesnar, yes, the same Brock Lesnar who is named more than 40 times in the Janel Grant versus WWE and Vince McMahon lawsuit, squashing Cena in less than ten minutes. It was a match that set the tone for the PLE, while also reminding fans just how bad this entire run has been.
Now, have there been some good moments? Of course. John Cena’s reaction to losing the Royal Rumble to Jey Uso, then the ridiculous heel turn in the weeks that followed, were two of those moments. The Street Fight with Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam and the US Title Match against Sami Zayn on SmackDown are also noteworthy points, as it seemed like Cena was on a mission to prove to everyone that he can actually wrestle. But those two moments do not erase the damage that WWE’s nonsensical booking has done to what should be the biggest story in wrestling this year.
Still, it seems like Cena’s final run wasn’t given the true planning that a situation like this deserved. Cena is a generational talent. His name fits right up there with others like Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and Andre the Giant. Cena will be remembered as the face of at least one generation, and even though he’s a part-time performer, he's the most popular talent of today as well. Even with all of that, WWE could not take the time to plan out a story that would carry him through 2024, until his retirement in 2025. That speaks volumes to the state of creative direction in WWE.
Take Cena’s crushing defeat to Lesnar. Perhaps this would lead to a bigger angle between the two, with Cena getting that win back to stand victorious before ending his career? No, at least not too early reporting.
“As of this weekend, I’m told that this is it,” said Bryan Alvarez of Wrestling Observer. “There isn’t going to be another Brock Lesnar/John Cena match. That was their last match. And Brock is not his final opponent.”
So, what was the point of that match? Is there a bigger story to tell about Cena struggling to find a win on his way out? Wasn’t that the initial catalyst that he talked about earlier in the “story” that was never truly played up again? What’s next for Lesnar? All of these are legit questions coming out of that match and none of them would be prevalent if and only if WWE took the time to build to a better story.
Think about how John Cena could have been used to set the stage for the next generation of wrestling superstars. WWE has a serious problem with its aging men’s division. A men’s division that is carried by older competitors like CM Punk and AJ Styles, while others like Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins are talking about winding down their careers. Think of the value that Cena could have infused into the likes of Bron Breakker, Ludwig Kaiser, Carmelo Hayes, Oba Femi, or Trick Williams. Those types of moments could have created momentum to turn those performers into major talents at a time when the men’s division needs them the most. But no, it looks like WWE did nothing more to serve up pointless matches that didn’t have a full story in mind.
Some will point to The Rock and his involvement causing a problem, and sure that point could be made and should be discussed. But that doesn’t take away the responsibility for Triple H and WWE’s creative team to find a way to pivot to a stronger angle. What was provided to fans so far shows no intent to pivot, and that’s the problem.
Look at what All Elite Wrestling was able to achieve with Sting’s retirement run. John Cena deserved the same type of care and build from the biggest wrestling promotion in the world. Unfortunately, the company failed him and his fans.
John Cena is going to go down as one of the biggest stars of all time. He deserves that place. He deserved a better retirement run. Alas, with less than 10 appearances on the calendar, fans can hope that they get something special before things are over. Don’t hold your breath, though, because this is still WWE we’re talking about.