WWE officials were reportedly caught off guard by the intense negative reaction from fans following John Cena’s loss in his retirement match. Cena’s legendary career came to an end at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, where GUNTHER defeated him. The finish saw the 17-time World Champion tap out to a sleeper hold, a decision that infuriated the live crowd at the Capital One Arena.
According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the company did not anticipate the level of hostility directed toward the creative direction. While WWE often expects some level of “heat” for controversial decisions, the report suggests the backlash exceeded their internal projections.
“The one thing that I can say is that even though they may say something different publicly, they were blindsided by that reaction,” Meltzer said. “The idea that we did it, we knew it was going to get heat, it’s just the price we pay. When they’re all chanting and he’s going, ‘Oh, I thought it would be louder’, that was a defence mechanism…. I was told there was no discussion of a reaction.”
The atmosphere in the arena turned volatile during the post-match celebration intended to honor Cena. The fans in attendance loudly booed WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H. The disapproval escalated during the post-show segments, with Triple H receiving chants of “You f**ked up” and even “AEW” from the disgruntled audience. He addressed the decision, which you can read here.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Wrestling Observer Radio with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription. Subscribe to Wrestling Observer.
