Gunther has addressed the hostile crowd reaction he faced during John Cena’s retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event. The World Heavyweight Champion defeated Cena in Long Island, New York, denying the 17-time World Champion a fairytale ending to his career.
Speaking on TMZ Inside The Ring, Gunther revealed that he could feel the tension from the WWE fans long before the bell rang. He explained that walking from his bus to the venue felt different than usual, as the crowd was desperate to see Cena leave with the gold.
“Yeah, it felt really good,” Gunther said. “I could tell the whole day already. It’s different because my tour bus was parked outside the venue, and I always had to be escorted through a bunch of people, a bunch of fans, to get to the building. Usually when I leave the building and there’s people, you get a little [Gunther ] boo, but it felt tense early in the day already. I could feel it felt tense. The people really wanted to see John win and really wanted to have that feel moment with him at the end of it, but it didn’t happen. You don’t always get what you want.”
Many fans were left heartbroken by the result, as Cena’s historic career ended in defeat. When asked what message he had for those who were upset by the outcome, the “Ring General” offered a blunt response.
“Stop crying,” Gunther said. “Okay, life goes on.”
With Cena now in the rearview mirror, Gunther continues his dominant reign as World Heavyweight Champion. WWE is currently building toward the Royal Rumble Premium Live Event, which takes place on Saturday, January 31, 2026, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit TMZ Inside The Ring with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can watch the full interview by clicking here.
