Bobby Lashley suffered an injury and is expected to be on the sidelines for the time being.
It was MVP who revealed the injury, although he did not specify what kind of injury he’s suffering from. Lashley has not wrestled since the Full Gear pay-per-view on November 22 where he was part of the Casino Gauntlet match to crown the inaugural AEW National champion.
Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful is reporting through the Select service that Lashley will be missing a considerable amount of time due to the unspecified injury.
Judgment Day member JD McDonagh will be out of action for a while as he recently underwent surgery on his right hand.
The Irish star uploaded a photo on his Instagram Stories in a hospital bed giving two thumbs up and then a photo insert with his right hand all taped up.
“Been working thru some stuff for the last few months, but now is the time to pump the brakes and get put back together,” he wrote. “Won’t be long, BRB.”
The 35-year-old formerly known as Jordan Devlin last wrestled on the November 24 episode of Raw, losing to Rey Mysterio.
AEW announced that its Dynasty pay-per-view will take place on Sunday, April 12 live from the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
This will be the third Dynasty show, with the pay-per-view introduced in 2024. The previous two shows were held in St. Louis and Philadelphia.
In addition, two more dates in Canada prior to Dynasty were also announced. Dynamite and Collision tapings on April 1 will be at the Canada Life Centre in Winnipeg and another set of Dynamite and Collision will take place from Rogers Place in Edmonton on April 8.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, December 22 at 10AM PT, with a pre-sale kicking of on Thursday, December 18.
Vince McMahon was not at the Saturday Night’s Main Event show this past weekend according to multiple industry insiders.
Cena remains a close and loyal friend to McMahon and has often stated in interviews that he never wanted McMahon to leave WWE, even after the serious allegations that came out against him.
A short older clip of McMahon talking about Cena was used in the final tribute video which aired following his match, a clip which clearly got Cena by surprise. This was the first time that a clip of McMahon was used since he departed the company.
Linda McMahon, the current Secretary of Education, was at the show. Shane McMahon was not, although he was present at the Madison Square Garden Raw for Cena’s final appearance there.
There were rumors that both Vince and President Donald Trump would be present at the show but not even Trump made it.
WWE part-time ring announcer Lilian Garcia had the honor of introducing John Cena for his final match last Saturday and in a message on social media, Garcia told Cena that he truly is the GOAT.
Garcia admitted in an interview earlier in the week that she was nervous about the assignment and she was going to put everything into the announcement.
“Just really solidify the fact that he is the ‘Greatest of All Time.’ He is an icon,” Garcia told TVInsider.com. “I’ve been amazed at everything he has been able to accomplish and his legacy.”
In her post on X, Garcia said it was not just an honor to introduce him for his final match, but for many of the matches throughout his career.
“You truly are the GOAT. Thank you for the memories & your dedication,” Garcia said.
In an interview with Bill Apter immediately following his son’s final match, John Cena Sr. said he believed a different outcome would have been better for everyone in the arena.
“Bill, the only thing I can say is I saw a lot of people cry,” Cena Sr. said. “Do I believe that’s the way it should have ended? I might have done it differently. I think it might have been better for everyone had it ended differently.”
He admitted that the unwritten rule is that if you’re on the way out, then you do the time honored tradition and put over your opponent.
“So I guess the only thing I can say is they did what they had to do, what’s best for business,” he continued.
The way the match finished did surprise Cena Sr. though, as he did not expect his son to tap out, but rather maybe pass out and Gunther would still have won the match.
Cena Sr. said that it was sad to see a lot of people at the Capital One Arena cry and added that he feels in wrestling, you should always want to send fans home happy.
In previous interviews, Cena Sr. voiced his displeasure with Gunther being chosen as his son’s last opponent and said that others would have made a better choice, such as Kurt Angle, Edge, or Chris Jericho.
AEW star Leila Grey tore her ACL last week during her match against Mercedes Mone for the TBS title on Collision.
Grey announced the news via a post on social media where she also showed off winning first place in the WBFF Pro Fitness Diva competition.
“I just won, went Pro, and become the new WBFF Pro Fitness Diva!!… with a freakin’ torn ACL,” she wrote.
Grey said that she will be undergoing surgery and will be out of action for a while.
“This couldn’t have happened at a worse time. Not only did it affect my championship match, a MAJOR opportunity for me, but it happened one week out from my debut WBFF show that I had invested so much of my life into the past year. People expected me to drop out, but honey, there’s no quit in me,” she added.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson recorded a 2 minute 37 second video message to John Cena which he uploaded before Cena had his final match yesterday.
The two, who didn’t always see eye to eye, ended up being big friends who did record-breaking business together inside the ring.
Johnson’s full message to John Cena:
“All right, this message is for the one and only my friend, my brother, John Cena. John, Saturday, December 13th. The time has come.
You are wrestling your final match in your unbelievably blessed and historic career. And I want to share a few things with you, man, before you go out and you, as we say in wrestling, tear the house down with Gunther.
I want to say thank you. Thank you so much for your contributions, all of your accomplishments, your passion, your commitment to this wild and crazy world that’s unpredictable and all the things that it is of professional wrestling, uh, that we love. And I want to thank you for that because I feel like, you know, you and I have this wild and crazy history and yes, we have spilled blood together in our matches. Literally we have torn tendons literally in our matches.
We’ve broken records and man, that has been incredible. And I’ll always be proud of that. What you and I were able to accomplish together as a team, along with the rest of the rosters back at, uh, during those days. And it was awesome. And that was rare air that we were able to breathe. And I will always be grateful for that.
But the thing that I want to share with you, the most important thing that I realized over the years about our relationship and our bond and our friendship, the thing that I discovered about you that I love the most is your jorts. I’m only kidding. I love the jorts.
Um, the thing I love the most about you is that you’re a good human being and man, that matters. And you know what? The more I go down the road of life, the more we go down the road of life, you realize just, um, how important being a good human being is and being kind to people and treating people nice and being nice to people. It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.
You epitomize that quote. So brother, I want to thank you for everything you’ve done, uh, for our entire business, the WWE, this world of pro wrestling. And I also want to take a moment to acknowledge your family, the entire scene of family, because I know personally, I grew up in this crazy world of professional wrestling and I have experienced like you, like all of us as wrestlers, we’ve experienced, uh, the challenges of wrestling.
And when you become a wrestler, it becomes a family affair because everybody sacrifices in the family. So Cena family, thank you for your sacrifices as well. I know you’re very proud of John as I am as well.
Last thing for you tonight, when you go out right before your music hits, I want you to remember the thing that you and I always talk about before we go out through the curtain. And before you and I have done our dance in many arenas and stadiums across the country.
You remember that thing that we say to each other? ‘Hey, let’s have some tequila and moonshine after the match.’ No, the other part, have fun, go have fun.
John Cena, you are the GOAT go have f*cking fun and tear that house down, man.”
Gunther had to be escorted by DC police to his bus outside the Capital One Arena in Washington following yesterday’s Saturday Night’s Main Event.
With fans following and chanting “f*ck you Gunther” and “you suck” and several boos, WWE took no chance and had DC’s finest tail the man who made John Cena tap out in his final match.
It has been an incredible transformation from fans, who went from “if Cena wins we riot” to looking for a fight because Cena lost along the years.
While the fairytale ending would have been Cena defeating Gunther in his last match, time honored tradition dictated otherwise.
Gunther has now defeated both Cena and Goldberg in their final matches.
Newest WWE Superstar Joe Hendry made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night’s Main Event yesterday after The Miz complained in the ring that he was not involved in Cena’s last match.
That brought out R-Truth, decked in full Cena gear, to tell Miz that he knows he cheated when he played around inappropriately with Nick Aldis’ balls and accused the former champion of taking the spot of someone else.
Truth then handed The Miz a ball which had a name in it: Joe Hendry.
The camera then panned out and the music started, with Hendry appearing on the apron much to the surprise of fans. Hendry and Truth then beat up The Miz and both hit a 5-knuckle shuffle in sync.
The former TNA champion is now officially on the WWE roster and currently assigned to NXT, a position he asked for to continue to evolve as a wrestler before moving to the main roster.
Ahead of his final match yesterday, 16-time world champion Ric Flair sent a good luck message to John Cena, calling him “one of a kind.”
“John Cena you have represented the WWE, our business, our brand. Congratulations on a phenomenal retirement! Good luck tonight man! I will make sure the world is watching, well at least in Tampa,” Flair wrote.
Cena and Flair were on 16 world titles each for years before Cena broke the record this year at WrestleMania, winning the “never-seen 17” from Cody Rhodes. Flair had joked that he would be ready to make a run-in to prevent it from happening.
“Please know that you’re one of a kind, and it will be light years before anyone replaces you. Even though Vince put an end to us hanging out together on the road, you will be a hero to a lot of us forever! Kick ass & never look back! WOOOOO!”
Prior to the Collision tapings in Cardiff, Wales yesterday, AEW President Tony Khan came out and said that he was bringing AEW Dark back for one night only.
“Because I love Cardiff so much I went to the great executives at Warner Bros. Discovery, the great company that powers the engine that makes AEW possible and I said to them, ‘Please, it’s a holiday season, for one night only, because there’s hardcore AEW fans in Cardiff this holiday season tonight I want to bring back, for one night only, AEW Dark,” an excited Khan said.
Khan added that WBD gave their blessing to bring the show back and the episode was filmed after Collision.
WBD have the exclusive rights for AEW programming so anything not airing on their network would need their approval.
The show aired on the company’s YouTube channel from 2019 to 2013 before it was taken off the air.
During the broadcast of Saturday Night’s Main Event yesterday and before the final match of John Cena, Michael Cole gave a nod to his broadcast colleagues who are no longer working with WWE but also served a very important voice during John Cena’s career.
Cole mentioned John “Bradshaw” Layfield, who apart from having a fierce rivalry with Cena, was also calling his matches on Smackdown and pay-per-views, coming up with the term “big match John.”
The voice of WWE then mentioned Taz, who did commentary on Smackdown with Cole during Cena’s rise, as well as WWE Hall of Famers Jerry “The King” Lawler and the one and only Jim Ross.
Corey Graves, who still works the booth on Smackdown, also got a nod.
WWE fans were not happy with Triple H and made their voices heard when he came out for the final curtain call with the rest of the WWE locker room.
HHH was loudly booed and got some profanity chants as fans showed their displeasure in how John Cena’s final match ended.
Appearing on the post-show following the conclusion of Saturday Night’s Main Event, Triple H got even more boos from fans who stayed around.
He looked from the stage towards fans, many of whom threw their middle finger at him.
“A lot of Bloodline fans I see, lots of ones,” he quipped as the panel laughed and fans chanted “You f*cked up” loudly.
Big E joked that it’s the wrong finger, which Triple H replied “he didn’t notice!”
“I’m actually mildly disappointed,” Triple H told the panel. “I thought it would be so much louder!”
The WWE Chief Content Officer defended the decision to end Cena’s career with that finish.
“There are time honored traditions in our business, and the way to handle your business. John has said the right thing his entire career, that is about leaving this place better than you found it,” Triple H said. “But you do what is right for the business, you do what is right for this industry, John has done that his entire career, and I’m going to do that my entire career. I will do what I believe is right for this business, which it is what it is.”
Triple H acknowledged that it’s tough for people to understand that right now.
“If you want to talk behind the scenes, he will put over somebody on the way out,” he added. “He will leave this better than he found it. He will go into the ring and make somebody on his way out. That’s what John has always done.”
The former champion said that he’s got “big shoulders” and he’s “good” with the criticism.
“I know people will criticize this and people will look at it and talk about this moment right here. I’ve got big shoulders, I’m good with it,” he concluded.
The stars came out to watch John Cena have his final match last night in Washington, DC with several current and former WWE Superstars and other personalities in the building.
Mark Henry, Trish Stratus, Eve Torres, Rob Van Dam, and Kurt Angle were ringside for the whole broadcast from start to finish and they were also eventually joined by Michelle McCool, Sami Zayn, Booker T, Elias, Kevin Owens, Meng, and WWE President Nick Khan, who Cena all acknowledged with hugs and hand shakes during his entrance.
Jon Bernthal, Metro Boomin, Tyrese Haliburton and many other Hollywood stars and athletes were also in attendance to celebrate John Cena.
Social media outlet X was full of congratulatory messages to Cena from other peers and sports teams as well, perhaps the biggest engagement from non-wrestling entities ever.
John Cena’s final match against Gunther ended in the unthinkable way: a tap out.
No, Gunther did not tap out, but John Cena gave up.
19,000 strong chanted “don’t give up” as Gunther repeatedly locked in the rear naked choke. Cena fought back multiple times, but in the end, he had to do something that goes against his “never give up” attitude.
Cena cracked a smile as the end was around the corner, and gently tapped on Gunther’s forearm, sending the crowd into total silence.
The match went to a total of 23 minutes and 43 seconds, not the longest of Cena’s retirement tour but definitely one of the most hard-hitting one thanks to his opponent, who has now defeated both Cena and Goldberg in their final match.
The crowd booed and chanted “bullshit” as Cena stood solo in the ring, looking around, telling fans that he gave it his all and that’s all he got.
The man who fans labeled as “Super Cena” for never losing, was not super on his last match, and the fans did not like it one bit at all.
Cena left his sneakers, wrist bands, and arm band in the ring, saluted all four sides of the arena, and walked calmly to the back, high-fiving fans before turning around for one last salute.
“It’s been a pleasure serving you all these years,” Cena said before he went through the curtain.
Hello everybody!! It’s @TheMagnumDA with a very special Saturday Night’s Main Event Pick’em report for Wrestling-Online this evening. Since 2002, John Cena has been a force in the WWE, ascending to the first of his 17 (never seen!) World Championships in 2005.
I was fortunate enough to see him live for many of those championship matches, with my personal favorite being #16 vs. AJ Styles at the 2017 Royal Rumble. It’s seriously one of the greatest WWE title matches of all time – find it on YouTube if you’ve never seen it!
Unfortunately, after a 23 year run in WWE, John’s time is up, and The Last Time is Now here on Saturday Night’s Main Event. Here’s to the GOAT – Thank You John. 🙏
Colin and I wanted to commemorate this moment by putting the WOPC Championship on the line in a Double Points Confidence Pick’em. We’ve got 4 matches on the card, so we’ll select 2 points for the pick we are least confident about, and 8 points for the pick we’re most confident about. We will also have a bonus question for the main event – John Cena vs. Gunther. Who will end 2025 with the WOPC title? We’re about to find out.
YOU CAN’T SEE ME – ON WITH THE PICKS!!
Bayley vs. Sol Ruca
Colin: Sol Ruca is going to be a big, big star when she moves to the main roster. Her finisher is amazing, she can wrestle, and looks great too. This should be a good match and there’s no reason for Bayley to go over. I’m going to pick Sol to get the victory here with 6 points.
Magnum: I love John’s idea to make SNME a showcase for NXT vs. WWE – who could forget his run-in with the original NXT in the form of Nexus? Anyways, this is such a golden opportunity for Sol Ruca to get on the map and become a major player. How will Zaria play into this? What about the Kabuki Warriors – do they still want a piece of Bayley? I’ll take Sol Ruca to win this one, but I’m only going to put 4 points on it.
AJ Styles and Dragon Lee vs. Je’Von Evans and Leon Slater
Colin: It’s nice they added someone from TNA on this card. It shows you this partnership is not just temporary. I really think this is a long-term project which will end with WWE buying TNA. But anyway, that’s a story for another day. The Young OG and Slater make a great combo. This match was for the title, but now it’s not, which makes me think the young guns might get the W here with that change. Evans and Slater win, 2 points.
Magnum: Another awesome showcase, this time with NXT and TNA Superstars. Who could forget AJ Styles as one of the greatest X Division Champions ever? Now, that mantle is bestowed upon Leon Slater. I can’t say enough good (or bouncy!) things about Evans – he and Slater are stars in the making. As for tonight, I think Dragon and Styles (don’t call them Team AJ/Lee) are going to show up and show out just as much as the young OG’s will. Call the cops, because all four of these guys are about to steal the show! I’ll take Dragon and Styles to win this match, putting 6 points on it.
Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Champion) vs. Oba Femi (NXT Champion)
Colin: I really thought they were going for Rhodes vs Saints here. Oba Femi needs to move to the main roster ASAP. A loss helps no one here, unless it comes with some interference. Really on the fence on this one but I think Cody wins and I will have 4 points on it.
Magnum: Another never-before-seen match, this time featuring the WWE Champion vs. the NXT Champion. Oba had some MAJOR aura in his entrance last night on Smackdown. The guy looked like he belonged on the show, and he backed it up on the mic. Win or lose, this is fantastic exposure for him. That said, Cody is pissed and will bring that fire into this match. Drew McIntyre’s been screwing with Cody for the last few months, and while I don’t see him appearing tonight, it’s definitely possible that he could. That said, I feel the most confident about this pick – I’ll take Cody to win, and I’ll put the whole enchilada on it – 8 big points!!
John Cena vs. Gunther
Colin: It’s going to be an emotional night for everyone. I might get a bit teary-eyed myself. Pretty much saw John Cena grow right before my eyes, from the first Smackdown, to his last match tonight. Incredible to think it’s all over. Who I want to win this match and who I think will win this match is different to me. I really want Cena to win but I have a feeling he will fight hard to have Gunther go over. This whole show is to showcase the stars of tomorrow and Cena winning would go against that. Time honored tradition and all that. Gunther wins, 8 points.
Magnum: This is it. After a storied 23 year career, John Cena will pass the torch in this match. Truly, is there a more deserving candidate than the Ring General? I don’t believe so – Gunther is a true wunderkind in the ring, and someone who embodies the hard work that led John Cena to win 17 World Championships. I think we will see a beautiful story in this match, one where John fights for his life to survive. Sadly, though, in the end, Gunther will get the single biggest win of his career – even though Gunther is under 40 years of age, he will have already earned his spot in the WWE Hall of Fame with a victory tonight. As I wrote earlier, John’s time is up…and Gunther’s time is now. Gunther wins, but I’m only putting 2 points on it – the mark in me would actually love for John to win this one.
Bonus Question/Tiebreaker: How Will The Match End?
Colin: John Cena. Will. Tap. Out. The ultimate passing of the torch would be this. No matter how it ends, it’s a very good day to be Gunther, so congratulations to him as well.
Magnum: John Cena will Never Give Up – that’s been his mantra for the last 15+ years. I think we’ll see an ending similar to Steve Austin at WrestleMania XIII – in one of the most iconic finishes of all time, Bret Hart defeated Stone Cold in a Submission Match, but he never actually made Steve tap. Steve lost so much blood while he was in the Sharpshooter that he passed out. I don’t think we’ll necessarily see a lot of blood, but we’ll see that same kind of grit as Cena tries to fight out of Gunther’s signature Sleeper. In the end, Cena will not give up – he will simply lose consciousness and the ref will have no choice but to ring the bell for the Ring General.
That’s going to do it for us here at the Pick’em report! This is the last Pick’em for 2025, but we’ll be back in 2026 for the Royal Rumble! 2026 marks 10 years that I’ve been a part of Wrestling-Online, and I want to take this chance to share my gratitude to Colin Vassallo for giving me a chance all those years ago. You’re the best, man! Thank you for everything.
Happy Holidays everyone! See you all in 2026! @TheMagnumDA signing off.
Two men who interacted with John Cena in his first Smackdown appearance, Kurt Angle and The Undertaker, took to social media to congratulate Cena on his retirement ahead of his final match later tonight.
Angle was Cena’s first televised opponent, ushering in the Ruthless Aggression era and Taker had a backstage segment with the then young kid from West Newbury.
“From his unforgettable moments in the ring to his inspiring presence outside of it, John Cena has truly left an indelible mark on the world of sports entertainment,” wrote Kurt Angle. “I am proud to have been part of his journey, and what a ride it has been for him. His dedication, resilience, and passion have inspired countless fans and peers alike. As he embarks on his well-deserved retirement, I wish him all the best in the next chapter of his life. Enjoy your last ride, John….a legend forever. Welcome to retirement, my friend.”
Cena inducted Angle into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017.
The Undertaker then posted his own message to Cena on X.
“‘Nice job.’ Those were the words I said to you 23 years ago when you debuted. Now, on the day of your final match, I say again…nice job,” Taker said. “Hustle, loyalty, and respect is more than just a catch phrase. For 23 years you have lived by those words. Your passion for our business and dedication to our fan base is unmatched. To have shared the ring with you and have been a part of your journey has been an honor. As your in ring career winds down, be proud of the body of work and the memories you’ve created. Enjoy the last ride tonight my friend and one final time…nice job.”
Mattel Creations have started production on the brand new WWE Ultimate Edition action figure of John Cena wearing the gear of his final match for tonight.
Titled the WWE Ultimate Edition John Cena Final Match Action Figure, it comes with the red, white, and blue ballcap, towels, and a soft goods T-shirt from his Final Final.
As with other Ultimate Edition figures, the 6.75″ inch tall toy has 30+ points of articulation and made with True FX technology for life-like face sculpts. It comes along with three interchangeable heads and sets of hands. The collector packaging celebrates Cena’s storied career.
You can reserve your figure for $44.99 via WWE Shop. The item is not yet available and it will take a bit before it ships.
In an interview with People, former WWE World Heavyweight champion Gunther said that he is proud to be in the position where he can share the ring with John Cena during his retirement match.
“Obviously it’s a big deal and I am proud to be in that situation,” he said. “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. 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 that got picked for that.”
Gunther shares the same sentiment that many do: he thinks Cena is the GOAT.
“It’s undeniable: He’s the greatest of all time,” he continued. “He’s the greatest sports entertainer of all time. And that’s how I always saw myself as different.”
The Austrian was also given the nod to share the ring with Goldberg during his farewell match, a match which he won when he made the former WCW champion tap out.
Gunther won The Last Time Is Now tournament to earn the spot against Cena tonight.
