Eric Bischoff has strongly defended the controversial finish to John Cena’s retirement match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event. The decision to have Cena tap out has drawn criticism from fans and industry figures like Jeff Jarrett. Bischoff believes the booking achieved exactly what it set out to do.
Speaking on his 83 Weeks podcast, Bischoff praised the execution of the match and compared the crowd’s stunned reaction to one of the most pivotal moments in wrestling history.
“I was extremely impressed with the finish of that match, because it achieved exactly what any good head of creative would want to achieve,” Bischoff said. “If you go back and you look at the crowd reactions to Hogan turning heel, and you go back and look at the crowd reactions to Gunther putting John Cena to sleep, the reactions were very similar. It was stunned, disappointment, shock. It was awkward at very first, much like it was with Hogan.”
Bischoff argued that by denying the audience the happy ending they expected, WWE has positioned Gunther to become a top-tier villain, provided he can maintain the momentum.
“I think John did for Gunther and Paul Levesque is put Gunther in a position where… if Gunther can hold that heat and the audience resents Gunther for taking that moment that they all wanted… Gunther is going to be one of the hottest heels of the business,” Bischoff explained. “Paul Levesque will go down as a genius, and everybody will look at this much differently than they looked at it that night, including Jeff Jarrett, by the way.”
Addressing Jarrett’s criticism specifically, Bischoff noted that while “sending the crowd home happy” is traditional, breaking that formula can be necessary to establish a true antagonist.
“You send the crowd home happy, unless you want the heel to get all the heat. And then you set up a scenario where that heel is taking what everybody thought they were going to get,” Bischoff stated.
Bischoff also commended Gunther’s handling of the post-match fallout, particularly his recent media appearances.
“I saw an interview that Gunther did… and I was so impressed with the way he handled it. He stayed in character, but in a real and authentic way,” Bischoff said. “Man, there’s something about his aura and the way he carries himself that makes him really special.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit 83 Weeks with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.Â
