LA Knight is one step closer to making history as John Cena’s final opponent. After defeating Jey Uso in the semifinals of the “Last Time Is Now” tournament on WWE Raw, Knight secured his spot in the finals against GUNTHER on SmackDown. Following the match, the “Megastar” wasted no time addressing the possibility of retiring the 17-time World Champion at Saturday Night’s Main Event next weekend.
In a backstage promo, Knight delivered a direct message to Cena, referring to himself as the obstacle standing between the legend and his final curtain call. He acknowledged that while things haven’t always gone his way recently, he has persevered through the tournament. “But here I stand, starting in that first round, Last Time Is Now Tournament, go ahead and pass through, don’t worry everybody’s gonna pass through. And if they pass through they’re gonna have to pass through me.”
The Gatekeeper Comment
Knight then made a bold declaration regarding his role in Cena’s farewell tour. “I am the gatekeeper to John Cena. I am the gatekeeper to John Cena’s last match,” he stated. This comment sets the stage for a high-stakes encounter should he defeat GUNTHER on Friday. The winner of that bout will earn the right to face Cena in his retirement match on December 13 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
Defining His Legacy
Addressing why this specific match matters to him, Knight explained that defeating the “Greatest of All Time” would elevate his own status in the industry to a new level. “You think to yourself, ‘Why do you care about being John Cena’s last match?’ I told you last week, if John Cena is the greatest of all time, and I beat John Cena, what does that make me?” Knight asked.
He ended his message by asserting that a victory over Cena would solidify his position at the very top of the business. “I don’t know if that makes me the greatest of all time, but my god, if that doesn’t make me ‘what is’ – if that doesn’t make me the isness of this business, which is exactly what I am, because this is my game, it can be nobody else’s and that’s not an insult, that is a fact of life with everybody saying LA Knight! YEAH!”
Tournament Finals Set
With his victory over Jey Uso, Knight now moves on to face GUNTHER, who advanced to the finals by defeating Solo Sikoa earlier in the night. The two will collide on SmackDown this Friday to determine who will stand across the ring from Cena for his final match. Cena’s retirement tour has been a year-long journey, and Saturday Night’s Main Event will mark the definitive end of his in-ring career.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit WWE with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. You can watch WWE Raw on Mondays on Netflix.
