The much-awaited final match of legendary WWE icon John Cena ended in a loss at the Saturday Night Live event in Washington, D.C.
The 17-time world champion and GOAT, who had fans cheering at their loudest for his final entrance, gave his very best in the match, but sadly, he was no match for 'Ring General' Gunther, who had taken control early on in the match, amid hundreds of 'boos' from the crowd.
Throughout the match, Cena gets back his vintage charm, at multiple points delivering the 'Five-Knuckle Shuffle' (FNS) and the 'Attitude Adjustment' (AA) after raising his hand for his signature 'You Can't See Me' gesture.
He even stopped Gunther's first 'Sleeper Hold' to deliver his own, which Gunther managed to escape. After many more FNSs, a powerbomb, a Frog Splash, and a Sleeper Hold that had Cena struggle like crazy, the latter finally got a chance to deliver one more AA.
However, it failed to work, giving Gunther a crucial opening to lock him in a sleeper hold—the one that forced Cena to tap out, despite the audience screaming "don't give up".
The 16-man 'Last Time is Now' tournament featured Raw legends, SmackDown stars and some wrestlers from the NXT, in addition to some surprise faces like Zack Ryder and Dolph Ziggler.
After announcing last year that he would retire in 2025, plans for his retirement slowly came into focus.
Just last month, the 48-year-old had declared that he would take on the winner of the 'Last Time is Now' tournament—the final match of his 23-year career.
Despite the latest loss, he ends a 23-year career as not just a wrestler, but also an actor, philanthropist, and above all else, an authentic human being adored by the masses.
In a heartwarming show of respect, nearly the entire WWE roster came out to greet him after the match, with Cody Rhodes and CM Punk placing their championships on his shoulders.
A video was also played, honouring the veteran WWE wrestler's achievements, after which he saluted the crowd and left his armbands in the ring that he would enter for the very last time.
"It's been an honour," he said, saluting the crowd one final time on his way out.
