Gunther beat John Cena in a way no man ever has, forcing him to tap out at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event.
After 20 years without tapping out, the 17-time world champion submitted to Gunther’s sleeper hold inside a stunned Capital One Arena.
The loss marked Cena’s final match, 525 days after he announced his retirement plans at Money in the Bank 2024.
It also delivered Gunther the most defining win of his career, submitting the face of an era on his way out.
THANK YOU JOHN CENA ❤️🫡
🏆 17x World Champion
🏆 5x U.S. Champion
🏆 4x Tag Team Champion
🏆 2x Royal Rumble Winner
🏆 Intercontinental ChampionTHE GREATEST OF ALL TIME 🐐 pic.twitter.com/3dPhvopjDd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 14, 2025
Gunther on being John Cena’s final opponent
“It means everything to me to have the opportunity to spoil John Cena’s last match,” Gunther said. “It’s undeniable: He’s the greatest of all time.”
The Austrian star had spent weeks leaning into the idea that Cena would tap out for the first time in his career. When it happened, the reaction inside the arena said everything.
Fans initially chanted “bulls—t” as Cena laughed, before switching to “thank you Cena” chants as he rose, saluted the crowd, and walked away.
For Gunther, the finish aligned perfectly with how he sees wrestling.
“I don’t consider myself a sports entertainer. I consider myself a professional wrestler,” he said. “Maybe that’s where the distinction is in this whole thing.”
The ring general
Gunther has built his WWE run on that philosophy. He wears plain gear, avoids theatrics, and breaks opponents down with sustained pressure rather than spectacle.
The approach has delivered reigns as Intercontinental Champion and NXT UK Champion, alongside two World Heavyweight Championship runs.
Cena’s résumé still towers over everyone else’s. But Gunther drew a clear line between legacy and identity.
“He’s the greatest sports entertainer of all time,” Gunther said. “And that’s how I always saw myself as different.
“Obviously, it’s a big deal and I am proud to be in that situation.
“I came up in Europe and took a different route to WWE than everybody else and I represent a little bit of the new wave of wrestlers to have come into WWE recently.
‘Passing of the torch moment’
“I guess if you compare it like that, it really is a passing of the torch match because it’s two different styles and two completely different generations.
“It makes me proud to be the guy who got picked for that.”
