On Dec. 13, 2025, John Cena competed in his last WWE match, losing to the “Ring General” Gunther by tapping out, ending his year-long retirement tour.
There were some highlights along the way, but overall, WWE mishandled Cena's farewell tour. It all started at the Royal Rumble, where he competed in his first of 18 matches during the farewell tour. Over the coming months, it'd be a bumpy ride before ending with the flat Gunther match.
18. Brock Lesnar squash at Wrestlepalooza
To no one's surprise, the Cena squash at Wrestlepalooza was absolutely the worst match of this run. There was no need for Cena to be decimated a la SummerSlam 2014.
This was also Brock Lesnar's first match since his return from a two-year hiatus. Regardless of his out-of-the-ring controversies, he had a pretty decent feud with Cody Rhodes in the summer of 2023 to help build the “American Nightmare” back up after WrestleMania 39.
Lesnar vs. Cena was lazy, and it felt like WWE was desperately trying to play the greatest hits during their first PLE as part of the ESPN deal.
Mind you, this came after Cena's recent babyface turn on the heels of a puzzling and directionless heel turn. So, this was an opportunity to build Cena up again before the home stretch of the farewell tour.
17. The “Never Seen 17” Cody Rhodes WrestleMania 41 match
Heading into WrestleMania 41, there was some intrigue in Cena's match against Cody Rhodes. For one, the parallels are obvious between Cena and Rhodes' standing in the company. The “American Nightmare” is now positioned as the John Cena of WWE in 2025.
However, this was Cena's first match since turning heel for the first time in two decades. That meant he had to adjust an already limited moveset into something a heel would use.
The slow, methodical pace really hindered the match. Cena still did his signature shoulder tackles, now hitting each with more aggression and without the speed he usually would hit them at.
All of that, combined with the Travis Scott cameo, made his record-setting 17th world championship win feel meaningless. It was a sad way to watch the “Greatest of All Time” win his last world championship. This was supposed to be a celebrated moment. Instead, it was marred by a boring pace and a celebrity cameo.
16. The other R-Truth match (SmackDown, June 20)
Two weeks after R-Truth's shocking return after his release at Money in the Bank, he faced Cena on an episode of Friday Night SmackDown.
The match was brief, and it was used as a stepping stone to build to Cena vs. CM Punk at Night of Champions the following weekend.
Like the next match on this list, this match isn't remembered for the in-ring action. Instead, it's remembered for Cena's pipebomb promo after the match. Cena got himself disqualified by hitting R-Truth with the Undisputed WWE Championship belt, effectively ending his return arc that appeared meaningful.
15. R-Truth at Saturday Night's Main Event (May 24)
The first match against R-Truth (before his release) happened at the May edition of Saturday Night's Main Event. It was a short contest, and the best part was R-Truth's entrance.
Since Cena was withholding his signature entrance from fans, R-Truth made up for it, fully decked out in colorful John Cena gear, and he came out to his song.
14. His tag team match with Cody Rhodes (SmackDown, Aug. 8)
One of the worst parts of Cena's farewell tour is how many appearances devoid of matches he made. While half of his 36 appearances featured matches, the other half were promos.
Within the 18 matches he had, Cena had several tag team bouts. On one hand, these types of matches allow him to mix it up with more Superstars. On the other hand, the matches can feel meaningless.
After losing the Undisputed WWE Championship to Rhodes at SummerSlam, they teamed up to face Logan Paul and Drew McIntyre. On paper, this is a great star-studded affair. However, Cena had already teamed with and now against Paul, and he had two singles matches against Rhodes to this point.
The only interesting aspect was having McIntyre in the match. Cena never got a singles match against the “Scottish Warrior,” which remains one of the biggest missteps during the farewell tour.
This also ended in a disqualification, compounding the already evident ambivalence most felt with this match. Just a lazy, uninspiring tag team bout.
13. His last RAW match (Nov. 17)
During Cena's last appearance on RAW, which emanated from Madison Square Garden, he faced the Judgment Day's Dominik Mysterio, Finn Bálor, and JD McDonagh.
Cena teamed up with two former rivals, neither of whom got to have a match against him during the farewell tour: Rey Mysterio and Sheamus.
Unlike the Paul-McIntyre tag team match, this did feel like a nice send-off from Mysterio and Sheamus. While they are both legends, they weren't afforded the luxury of a singles bout. So, having them team up with Cena was a nice way of giving them their moment.
The downside is that this meant Cena wouldn't have a singles match during his last RAW. He had already beaten Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship a week earlier, but he was also set to face him again at Survivor Series: WarGames the following weekend.
Overall, the action was serviceable. Madison Square Garden holds a special place in the John Cena canon, and this is a rather forgettable entry in the story, save for it being his last RAW.
12. His tag team bout with Logan Paul (Money in the Bank)
Before reverting to a babyface, Cena teamed up with Paul to face Jey Uso and Rhodes at Money in the Bank. Since it was a PLE, there was extra effort from the guys.
Ultimately, it was another unmemorable event in the farewell tour. Why did Cena have to have so much of Logan Paul in his farewell tour?
Paul is a great athlete, and his moonsault onto the announcer's table was fantastic. But the match was just a setup for R-Truth's epic return.
11. The Royal Rumble
Over the last couple of years, the Royal Rumble has been mostly uninspiring. WWE usually telegraphs their winners, and it all felt set up for Cena to win his third Royal Rumble.
Instead, it was Uso who won it, which was admittedly an awesome surprise. But it felt off. The in-ring portion of Cena's farewell tour started with the Royal Rumble, and the ending was bold, but it took the air out of the room.
10. His oldest foe (Backlash: St. Louis)
Cena got to run it back with Randy Orton at Backlash: St. Louis in May. This was his first title defense as Undisputed WWE Champion, and his second match as a heel.
The crowd was hot, partially because St. Louis is Orton's hometown and also because it was Cena vs. Orton for the last time. They've had countless matches, and their Backlash match was like a “greatest hits” album.
The spots were familiar, but there's a reason WWE ran this matchup countless times. The ending was lazy, with R-Truth accidentally costing Orton the match by protecting his “childhood hero,” Cena.
A definitive winner without interference would have been nice, if for no other reason than to end their rivalry on a decisive note. Instead, Cena won it how he won the Undisputed WWE Championship.
9. Grand Slam Champion (RAW, Nov. 10)
Two of Cena's last four matches came against Dominik Mysterio. That shows the incredible faith that Cena has in Mysterio, as Rhodes and R-Truth were the only Superstars that he faced several times in singles matches during his farewell tour.
Their first match occurred during Cena's penultimate appearance on RAW. The match was for the Intercontinental Championship in front of a raucous Boston crowd. Cena is from Massachusetts, so the crowd was hot for him.
It was a solid affair, and it almost ended with Mysterio retaining. A ref bump took the referee out of the equation, and Mysterio almost cheated his way to victory.
The best part of the match was the tribute to Eddie Guerrero. Mysterio tried to pull off Guerrero's signature tactic, trying to make it appear that Cena hit him with a steel chair. However, Cena turned the tables on Mysterio and winked at him for good measure. It was a clever bit that added much-needed flair to the match.
Cena rolled through a frog splash from Mysterio, delivering an Attitude Adjustment for the win. That was an epic win that crowned Cena a Grand Slam Champion.
8. Dominik Mysterio's hometown win (Survivor Series: WarGames)
Less than three weeks after their first encounter, Cena and Mysterio faced off again at Survivor Series: WarGames. While Cena beat Mysterio last time around near his hometown, he would lose to Mysterio in his hometown of San Diego, California.
There was interference from Judgment Day, and it gave fans a last look at “Super Cena.” He delivered a double Attitude Adjustment to Finn Bálor and JD McDonagh.
Later on, Raquel Rodriguez and Roxanne Perez would deliver their signature moves to Cena, giving them both career highlights. Ultimately, Mysterio pulled it off after faking an injury. This came on the heels of Penta's shoulder injury earlier in the week, which looked eerily similar.
This was creative, albeit a bit cynical of WWE to take advantage of a real injury, and it helped give the singles match a unique moment. They needed to find something new for this encounter, given how recently they had faced before it.
Liv Morgan's return from her shoulder injury was also nice. She pulled off a double turn, initially slapping Mysterio before turning on Cena.
Cena's loss was inevitable. But this was the kind of match he should have had against several younger stars. He gave the rub to several Superstars, including established stars like Mysterio and Morgan and those on the rise like Rodriguez and Perez.
7. Elimination Chamber and the heel turn
The whole build to Elimination Chamber felt weird. Cena declared himself for the Elimination Chamber match, sounding somewhat entitled in doing so.
However, he's a busy actor, and even his farewell tour wasn't his top priority, especially early in the year. So, you could chalk up the abruptness of his declaration to his schedule.
The Elimination Chamber match was really fun. It let him mix it up with Paul, Punk, McIntyre, Seth Rollins, and Damian Priest. The ending telegraphed his heel turn when he took advantage of Rollins' post-elimination attack on Punk. It felt weird, but in the heat of the moment, it was easy to overlook.
What happened after is another story, but the in-ring work was fun. There were some cool spots, and seeing Cena interact with Rollins one last time was a nice touch.
6. The second Cody Rhodes match (SummerSlam)
Their first encounter was a misfire, but the second was exactly what it should have been all along. Sure, a babyface vs. babyface match doesn't always work.
In this case, perhaps Cena's heel turn helped add to the match's intrigue. Sure, it was a foregone conclusion that Rhodes would regain the Undisputed WWE Championship, but Cena abruptly turning babyface before their SummerSlam bout seemed weird.
Ultimately, Cena was just back to being a babyface, but going into SummerSlam, there was a slim chance he could turn again at any moment. WWE still fumbled the heel turn, but the bizarre nature of it worked out in this specific case.
The match was a “Street Fight,” so that allowed for the Superstars to do some crazy spots. Cena surprisingly gave it all, putting his body on the line in surprising ways. Kudos, Cena.
5. The Paris crowd carried his match vs. Logan Paul (Clash in Paris)
The crowd at Clash in Paris was special. All of WWE's recent international shows have featured incredible crowds, and some have shaken the cameras.
Paul is an athletic freak, and he was a perfect counterpart for Cena at his current age. This match was a nice throwback to Cena's prime, with no interference or underhanded tactics from the 17-time world champion.
Did they make Paul look incredibly strong? Yes. But it was nice to see a version of “Super Cena” that has been absent for years, such as when he hit the roll-through Attitude Adjustment.
Ultimately, it was nice to see Cena back as a babyface in full swing. This was his first singles match win since he returned to being a babyface.
4. CM Punk, one last time: Night of Champions
CM Punk may be Cena's greatest rival. Their 2011 Money in the Bank and RAW 1,000 matches are two of the best in their careers. They ran it back at Night of Champions, and this was just Cena's second defense of the Undisputed WWE Championship.
The build was great, and the in-ring action was fun. Neither Cena nor Punk is in their physical prime, but they still know how to put on a great match.
Seth Rollins would interfere late, teasing a Money in the Bank cash-in. While that's not an ideal ending, this made for a great throwback to Cena and Punk's 2011 Money in the Bank clash when Cena ran Charles Robinson over.
It ended in shenanigans, as Cena tried a low-blow on Punk after embracing him. Rollins then hit Punk with the Money in the Bank briefcase and hit a curb stomp, leading to Cena stealing the win.
In terms of Cena's matches as a heel, this was when he and WWE found a balance with his moveset. It was previously unfathomable to see Cena steal a win, but this worked a lot better than having him wear down Punk with a slowed-down moveset before cheating to win.
3. The “Last Time is Now” vs. Gunther: Saturday Night's Main Event (Dec. 13)
While the ending wasn't ideal, Gunther got one last great match out of Cena in his retirement bout. This wasn't surprising, and the two had the perfect dynamic for Cena's last match.
It will be marred by the ending. There's nothing wrong with Cena going out losing, but the smile as he tapped out felt very much like Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope. Perhaps it's symbolic to some, but it felt awkward in real time.
Gunther and Cena had a back-and-forth matchup. Cena took chops and powerbombs, but he ultimately tapped out in a surprising move.
Now, it's up to WWE to build up Gunther after this. There's a real chance he retires other legends like AJ Styles and Brock Lesnar. If he doesn't, Cena's last match will only age worse.
2. A no-contest (SmackDown, Sept. 5)
Surprisingly, the second-best match of Cena's farewell tour was on Friday Night SmackDown. He answered Sami Zayn's United States Open Challenge, referencing when Zayn did the same to Cena a decade earlier.
Cena is old, and he doesn't move as well as he once did, but Zayn got a great match out of him. It was a back-and-forth contest, and it may be the most engaging match of Cena's farewell tour.
It ended with Brock Lesnar causing a disqualification to build to his match against Cena at Wrestlepalooza. In rare instances, disqualification finishes are okay. While Zayn getting a clean win over Cena would have been nice, Lesnar's interference to keep Cena looking strong heading into their squash match made sense.
1. The final “phenomenal” match against AJ Styles: Crown Jewel
Cena vs. Styles almost didn't happen. If Cena didn't make it happen on social media, there's a chance WWE never would have revisited this iconic rivalry from the 2010s.
This is a familiar theme with Cena's farewell tour, but he's not as agile as he once was. That goes for Styles as well, who's only a couple of months younger than Cena.
Regardless, they turned back the clock, making it feel like 2016 again. This was undoubtedly the best match of Cena's farewell tour, and it was in front of a raucous crowd in Australia at Crown Jewel.
Like his match against Orton, this was a “greatest hits” match, with Cena and Styles paying homage to legends like Orton, Bray Wyatt, and The Undertaker. Towards the end of the farewell tour, Cena became seemingly more open to having fun in his matches. If only the whole year-long tour were like this.
The last word on John Cena's farewell tour
Cena's farewell tour should be a warning to other WWE legends. Cena wanting to give those around the world a chance to see him one last time is admirable, but WWE wasted a lot of it.
The heel turn was shocking, but now that it's over, it felt like it was just a means to an end; a way for WWE to grab headlines, not do something meaningful.
Of course, there were exciting moments, especially in the back nine of the farewell tour. Once WWE and Cena embraced that the end was near, they let loose.
If only the whole tour were like that. In hindsight, having Cena compete against a mix of young and older stars would have been nice. Instead, WWE opted to mostly have him re-run his “greatest hits” and face established guys like Rhodes. Guys like Carmelo Hayes, Bron Breakker, and even Oba Femi could have used the rub.
Now, it's not worth getting upset over. The “Last Time” has now passed, and Cena has ridden off into the sunset. Thank you, Cena, for all of the memories.
