John Cena discussed the format of his final WWE event, Saturday Night’s Main Event, scheduled for this Saturday night on Peacock. Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Cena revealed that he specifically requested that the show not be structured as a dedicated tribute to his career. Instead, he pitched a format that highlights the future of the company.
“I would love for it to be rather than just a tribute show. I want it to be a look ahead,” Cena said.
Cena explained his reasoning, stating that a two-hour tribute show often results in either “too much” or “not enough,” satisfying no one. “No one’s ever gonna be like, nailed it,” he remarked.
Exhibition Matches for the Future
Cena’s vision for the event involves using the platform to showcase talent from both the main roster and NXT. He confirmed that the card will feature matches that are “non-canon,” meaning they exist outside of current storylines to allow for unique matchups.
“We’re going to get big WWE superstars so they can say they were on the card in non canon exhibition matches against the best and brightest we got NXT,” Cena detailed.
He views this as a way to pass the torch effectively. “That’s how I want to go out… give somebody that boot in The butt that like, Yo, this is what the noise sounds like,” Cena said. He framed the night as a chance for younger talent to “put your business card down” and prove they are ready for the main stage.
The Final Match Strategy
“I don’t know who I’m facing, so not really,” Cena said when asked if he had thought about the match structure. “You got to define your why very quickly… we might even have to define our why in action”.
Cena noted that while “retiring the greatest of all time” is a built-in narrative, he hopes to find a deeper emotional hook. “Whether Gunther or LA Knight has another thing about like, hey man, this happened between us… that’s an important piece of the foundation,” Cena explained. (Note: Gunther defeated LA Knight on SmackDown to win The Last Time Is Now Tournament so it will be Cena vs. Gunther this Saturday night)
Confirming Retirement
Cena reiterated that December 13 will definitively be his final performance. “I’ll have my last in ring performance. That is for certain. I’m not doing anything after that,” Cena stated.
He expressed satisfaction that WWE management “bought what I sold them” regarding the year-long farewell tour and the specific formatting of the final show.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Insight with Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can watch the full interview on Chris Van Vliet’s YouTube channel.
