Matt Hardy has weighed in on the controversial finish to John Cena’s retirement match, stating that he believes the decision for Cena to tap out was the right call for the future of the business. Cena wrestled his final match against Gunther at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, submitting to a sleeper hold in a moment that shocked fans worldwide.
Speaking on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy, Hardy revealed he wasn’t surprised by the outcome. He praised the storytelling, noting that it established Gunther as a monster heel while allowing Cena to leave on his own terms.
“I went into the match, I was 99% sure he was going to lose. I was probably 50% sure he was going to tap out,” Hardy said. “You’re the guy that never gives up. I’m going to make you give up, you know. And the way that was highlighted that he is the guy that never gives up, and he would never tap out whatever else. I mean, I felt like that was kind of the perfect storm where they could create this opportunity, and Gunther could do something that no one else has done.”
Hardy also addressed the moment Cena appeared to smirk while fading in the submission hold. While some fans were confused, Hardy interpreted it as a character moment representing relief and finality.
“I just think he almost, he didn’t look at his tapping out. He’s just like, Okay, I’m finally clocking out my runs done. I’ve done everything I can do. It’s okay. I can let go,” Hardy explained. “And that’s what he did in that moment. He kind of, it was almost euphoric. He almost found joy, and, like, I can let go, and there was that smirk, and then the tap out, and that was it.”
Hardy believes Cena likely orchestrated the post-match scene as well, opting against a grand speech to keep the focus on Gunther’s dominance. He even suggested Cena might have fed Gunther his line for Raw the following night.
“I think the promo he did on Monday Night Raw the way he followed it up, he said, Yeah, John Cena, he tapped out like a little bitch. I wouldn’t be surprised if John Cena himself gave him that line and said, make sure you throw this in or this is what I’d suggest,” Hardy said.
Ultimately, Hardy argued that the finish provides WWE with a long-term storytelling tool, positioning Gunther as a “career killer” obstacle for future babyfaces to overcome.
“If you make Gunther into this monster, who’s this, this immovable object, and you bring a baby face in that it can eventually conquer him, you can make that baby face. So I feel like John was trying to build something that could make another baby face like him down the road,” Hardy concluded.
Cena addressed the finish of the bout in a new interview, which you can read here.Â
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.Â
