Explained: Reason behind John Cena's smile before tapping out in his retirement match

Overview

• John Cena's WWE career ended on the December 13, 2025, on Saturday Night's Main Event against Gunther
• A controversial finish marked the end of the match, where John Cena gave up, as he tapped out to hand the Ring General a win
• Before tapping out, the Leader of the Cenation Army smiled, which hited at a hidden message

John Cena's WWE career ended on the December 13, 2025, on Saturday Night's Main Event against Gunther. A controversial finish marked the end of the match, where John Cena gave up, as he tapped out to hand the Ring General a win. Before tapping out, the Leader of the Cenation Army smiled, which hited at a hidden message.

The Ring General locked in his sleeper for over three minutes as Cena tried different ways to get rid of it. He was mildly successful in doing so once, as he delivered an Attitude Adjustment to get rid momentarily. However, Gunther locked in with the Sleeper yet again and put pressure on Cena.

Also Read: Triple H reveals reason behind having John Cena tap out in his retirement match

While John pushed Gunther towards the corner of the ring, he gained a small breathing space, only for the Imperium star to haunt him with the Sleeper yet again. Eventually, as the referee looked at the situation, Cena smiled and tapped out, which sent a shockwave across the arena.

Reason behind John Cena's smile before tapping out in his last match

There was a pin drop silence, as the fans could not believe John had tapped out. All the focus shifted towards Cena giving up for the first time since his gimmick of 'Never give up' started in 2005. However, he seemed to have a hidden message for the WWE fans with his smile.

Also Check: Did Triple H fumble John Cena's retirement match against Gunther?

Before tapping out, Cena smiled, which probably meant as if he had to say that he had to finally give up, or that his time was truly up. It could also be interpreted that Cena wanted to tell to fans that he went out in a way in which he wanted to, allowing the business to move on.