WWE is set to break from tradition for this weekend’s Saturday Night’s Main Event, treating the show with the magnitude of a Premium Live Event rather than a standard television special. According to a new report from Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, the event will feature a significantly expanded format compared to previous iterations in this run.
“This is being treated more like a PLE, as it has a two-hour pre-show and one-hour post show, unlike Saturday Night’s Main Events of the past in this run, which were just the two-hour presentation,” Meltzer reported. “There is no hard out at the two hour mark. It can go as long as they want.”
While the run time is flexible, the placement of the biggest match on the card has been a source of internal debate. Meltzer noted that as of midweek, the company had not finalized whether John Cena’s retirement match against Gunther would open or close the show. Cena reportedly pushed for a specific spot that baffled some insiders.
“Whether Cena’s match goes first or last was still not finalized as of midweek. Cena had asked to go first, which makes no sense,” Meltzer wrote. “The belief internally for the past week plus was that he was going first. But on Raw, when Joe Tessitore was running down the night, he talked about how the post-game show will start immediately after the main event, which is Cena vs. Gunther, implying it goes on last.”
Regardless of the order, the card features a mix of main roster stars and top talent from NXT, highlighting the current “champion vs. champion” theme. Additionally, reports have surfaced that WWE is working on several “surprises” for the broadcast, fueling speculation that other legends or unexpected names could appear to pay tribute to Cena in the nation’s capital.
Saturday Night’s Main Event Full Confirmed Card
- John Cena’s Retirement Match: John Cena vs. Gunther
- Champion vs. Champion (Non-Title): Cody Rhodes (Undisputed WWE Champion) vs. Oba Femi (NXT Champion)
- Singles Match: Bayley vs. Sol Ruca
- WWE World Tag Team Championship: AJ Styles & Dragon Lee (c) vs. Je’Von Evans & Leon Slater
