John Cena brought the curtain down on his legendary 23-year wrestling career with his final WWE match on December 13 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The 17-time WWE Champion managed to break free from Gunther’s sleeper hold multiple times but ultimately tapped out. While many fans took to social media to bid him farewell, others expressed disappointment, calling it the “worst end” to the GOAT’s (Greatest of All Time) career.
During his final match, Cena hit three Attitude Adjustments on Gunther, but couldn’t pin him after any of them. After the match, he sat in the ring and said, “That’s all I got.” At first, the audience chanted “this is bulls**t,” followed by a round of applause for Cena as he stood in the ring and thanked the audience.
The big Saturday event featured legends in the audience, including Kurt Angle, RVD, Trish Stratus, and Eve Torres.
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The Greatest of All Time.
Thank you, @JohnCena. 🫡 pic.twitter.com/xcXnKKdxFs
— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2025
The GOAT.
There will never be another John Cena! 🥹 pic.twitter.com/8dT8jUQjma
— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2025
The show also featured several video tributes celebrating John Cena and his career. The clips showcased his iconic wrestling matches with legends such as The Undertaker, The Rock, and others, as well as his encounters with prominent sports personalities, including Jalen Brunson and Tom Brady. Several videos from the match were later shared on social media, capturing fans in the stands visibly upset by his defeat.
A fan wrote under WWE’s X post, “I wish he would have passed out instead of tapping out, but I suspect @JohnCena made that decision. “WORST END TO THE GOAT,” another person commented. A comment read, “I appear to be visionless.” Netizens also saluted John Cena for his successful career in wrestling. “Cena’s era hits different. Respect,” a user wrote. “I’m going to tell my kids this was John Cena,” another fan commented.
It’s over.
Gunther taps out John Cena. pic.twitter.com/0O2lTpl3p1
— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2025
#ThankYouCena pic.twitter.com/D5F5eSF4DB
— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2025
Speechless. 😔 pic.twitter.com/BEfg0Fqd4Z
— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2025
John Cena broke several records during his career, becoming the most decorated champion in WWE’s history. He is also a Grand Slam Champion, having won the Intercontinental, United States, and Tag Team titles. In addition, Cena won the Money in the Bank match in 2012 and is a two-time Royal Rumble winner, in 2008 and 2013.
