John Cena’s Final Match: 12 Historic Moments at Capital One Arena

A rookie John Cena wrestled in Washington D.C.’s MCI Center for the first time on a September 2002 house show, three months following his WWE debut. Cena teamed with an equally tenured Randy Orton and Mark Henry, defeating Billy (Gunn), Chuck (Palumbo), & Rico that evening.

Twenty-three years later, the now Capital One Arena will host a landmark edition of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, where John Cena will wrestle his final match.

Opened in 1997, the 20,000-seat arena has hosted some of the most legendary nights in professional wrestling, including some of John Cena’s career highlights.

Cena’s swan song against “The Ring General” Gunther will add another chapter to the arena’s historic resume. Let’s look at twelve of wrestling’s most significant moments to occur inside the Capital One Arena.

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John Cena’s Greatest Matches: A Legacy of Endurance

At a SmackDown taping in 2016, I sat next to a youngster who was fully decked out in John Cena gear. With a perplexed look on his face, he asked his mother what the audience was chanting as they voiced their disapproval of the match in progress. “They’re saying Cena sucks,” his mother replied in a cautious whisper, which brought sadness to his eyes.

I could hear the tears in his voice as he asked, “Why don’t they like him?” His mother pulled him in for a hug, shielding him from the negativity being hurled at her son’s hero. It was heartbreaking to watch. It also, however, put into perspective how, despite all the jeers, people have a special kind of love for John Cena.

From Kurt Angle in 2002 to Gunther in 2025, John Cena has left an indelible impression on the hearts and minds of wrestling fans while also being one of the industry’s most polarizing figures. Nearly fifteen years as the face of WWE, Cena traveled a road where the trip itself became as much of the story as any victory earned or title won.

The star of the show is usually not booed out of the buildings he performs in, but that was the case during John Cena’s prime on the WWE mountain top. Eventually, the tide turned, with fan support split evenly. Ultimately, the “Let’s go Cena. Cena Sucks” narrative became universal praise and admiration for the pride of West Newbury, Massachusetts.

Generations of wrestling fans went from insisting John Cena turn heel to condemning the turn that occurred in Toronto. Cena gained the respect and support of wrestling fans who used to boo him, while the children who idolized Cena grew up and are now the loudest voices in the room. John Cena’s legacy isn’t about “You Can’t See Me” or “You Can’t Wrestle.”

John Cena’s legacy is endurance. Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect all require one to endure.

”The Last Time is Now” tour’s final stop is Saturday, December 13th, in Washington D.C., for Saturday Night’s Main Event. As Cena’s swan song is upon us, it is only natural to reminisce about his greatest battles inside the squared circle. Many matches and moments come to mind, but let’s take a look at the 10 Best Matches of John Cena’s career.

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WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event Review: CM Punk Wins World Title

Saturday Night’s Main Event – November 1, 2025 – Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah

Cody Rhodes pinned Drew McIntyre to retain the WWE Championship:

Rhodes being able to lose the title on a countout or disqualification was the big stipulation. McIntyre attempted to trick Rhodes into getting himself disqualified. In the end, Rhodes delivered a DDT to McIntyre on the title belt to beat him. Forcing Rhodes’ back against the wall with the stipulation should have given him a clean win. Yes, McIntyre brought the belt into the ring, which is another case of the “Scottish Warrior” being his own worst enemy. Not a bad match, but I’d had my fill of this pairing.

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Top 10 Goldberg Matches: A Wrestling Icon’s Best Moments

Few wrestlers in history burst onto the scene like Bill Goldberg did in WCW. After an injury ended his seven-year NFL career, the former defensive tackle shifted his athletic focus to professional wrestling. The rigorous training circuit at WCW’s Power Plant and a handful of dark matches led to Goldberg’s televised debut on September 22, 1997, against Hugh Morris, and he never looked back.

Goldberg became a worldwide sensation as the stoic and intense monster who amassed win after win with his signature maneuvers, the Spear and Jackhammer, morphing into the infamous undefeated streak of 173 victories. Nearly ten months into his career, Goldberg captured the World Heavyweight Championship. He became WCW’s top star during the industry’s peak of popularity.

Following WWE’s acquisition of WCW in 2001, Goldberg signed a one-year deal with WWE in 2003, where his run left a lot to be desired. A shocking return twelve years later led to a run that made up for the sins of his initial outing with the company, until it didn’t for a few years. Goldberg rebounded with some fun matches and closed out his career on the July 12, 2025, edition of Saturday Night’s Main Event in a losing effort to Gunther.

Goldberg faced some criticism for a lack of wrestling skills. His style was never about technical expertise. Instead, it was about fierce brutality in the ring. Goldberg looked like and wrestled like someone who could take on the world. That’s exactly what fans wanted to see, and his impact was undeniable.

Let’s take a look at the best matches of Bill Goldberg’s career.

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TNA Bound for Glory 2025 Review

TNA Bound for Glory 2025 – October 12, 2025 – Tsongas Center – Lowell, MA

Pre-Show: Hall of Famer Traci Brooks read some opening remarks about The Beautiful People (Angelina Love & Velvet Sky) and Tommy Dreamer officially inducted them. Lisa Marie Varon inducted Micke James into the Hall of Fame.

The IInspiration (Jessie McKay & Cassie Lee) defeated The Elegance Brand (Heather & M) to retain the TNA Knockouts Tag Team Championship. Elegance blindsided IInspiration at the bell. IInspiration capatalized on an Elegance slip up and hit the IIdolizer on M for the pin.

The pre-show should have featured only the Hall of Fame ceremony. I wish the cameras hadn’t shown the crowd as much since the arena was still mostly empty while fans were filing in. Seeing large patches of empty seats made this milestone moment feel less significant. However, it was great to see Love, Sky, and James given ample time for their speeches.

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DC Comics and AEW Team Up for Epic Crossover

Who would win in a fight between Batman and Kenny Omega? How about a showdown between Wonder Woman and “Timeless” Toni Storm? Can the acrobatic Nightwing match the aerial arsenal of Will Ospreay? These questions could be answered when the heroes and villains of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and DC Comics unite for a groundbreaking collaboration. The main event of this partnership will be a 48-page, two-part comic book saga.

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ECW Wrestlepalooza ’97 Review: Dreamer vs. Raven, Taz’s Triumph, and Lawler’s Invasion

The Oxford Dictionary defines the word “palooza” as a large-scale festival or event, characterized by a specific thing or person. While CM Punk finds the name “ridiculous,” Wrestlepalooza kicked off a new era of WWE PLEs on ESPN. Wrestlepalooza was originally an event produced by Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW) until the company went out of business in 2001, and WWE acquired the assets in 2003.

Wrestlepalooza is not the first time WWE has used an event name from ECW’s past. Heatwave was ECW’s summertime pay-per-view and is now an NXT PLE. ECW held four Wrestlepalooza events, featuring a total of 29 matches between 1995 and 2000. Despite ECW’s reputation for consistently delivering memorable cards, there is one Wrestlepalooza to rule them all.

Wrestlepalooza ‘97 emanated from South Philadelphia’s ECW Arena on Saturday, June 7, 1997. It was a fun time to be a diehard wrestling fan as the Monday Night War was on fire. WCW Monday Nitro was 12 months into its infamous streak, beating WWF Monday Night Raw in the ratings for 83 consecutive weeks. Meanwhile, ECW influenced changes within the industry, in front of and behind the camera.

Wrestlers were constantly jumping ship to different promotions, creating a “You never know who will show up next” atmosphere across the big three promotions in the United States. A hallmark of ECW was its ability to make the most of its shocking arrivals. One of ECW’s top stars was leaving the promotion for greener pastures, while a star from another company crashed the party in lights-out fashion.

The voice of ECW, Joey Styles, and “Ravishing” Rick Rude opened the show to announce a change to the world title match. Stevie Richards was pulled from the match due to what was thought to be a career-ending neck injury. Terry Funk would now defend the ECW World Heavyweight Championship against the Triple Threat’s Chris Candido on short notice.

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WrestleMania 43: The Controversial Move to Saudi Arabia

In 2027, WrestleMania 43 will be held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and everyone has something to say about it. WWE made the official announcement on Friday at a special press event in Las Vegas. However, PWInsider broke the news earlier in the week when they got wind of a press release written in Arabic that was pulled shortly after the Saudi government accidentally released it.

Joe Tessitore moderated the event and was joined by the Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Charlotte Flair, Bianca Belair, Liv Morgan, Stephanie Vaquer, Logan Paul, Seth Rollins, and Triple H, who touted WrestleMania’s global success over the last several years, and put over Turki Al-Sheikh, whom he called his dear friend, and brought out to the stage as he announced WrestleMania 43 as part of Riyadh Season in 2027.

A couple of WWE stars spoke glowingly of their experience in Saudi Arabia. Undertaker said fans who usually travel to see WrestleMania will be pleasantly surprised by the passion of Saudi wrestling fans and how nice the people are. Bianca Belair said she is impressed with how Saudi Arabia evolves more for women every time she goes there. Triple H said Saudi Arabia is a new hotbed for WWE.

Turki Al-Sheikh commented on WWE’s eight-year partnership with the Saudi Arabia General Entertainment Authority. Turki also praised current WWE President Nick Khan for continuing “the legacy of Vince McMahon,” and said the record-breaking attendance at last year’s WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas influenced the decision to bring WrestleMania to Saudi Arabia.

Al-Sheikh also acknowledged the press release his office accidentally released. He said the press release was published for two seconds before they took it down, and fans went crazy with excitement. Triple H closed out the event, stating, “This doesn’t happen without his excellency, Turki Al-Sheikh and Nick Khan,” and ended by saying WrestleMania 43 will have “a level of stardom and spectacle like you’ve never seen before.”

– Opinion Time

Well, folks, it’s official: WWE will hold its first WrestleMania outside of North America in Saudi Arabia. There are mixed reactions to this announcement. Some like it. Some hate it. Some have concerns. I can’t help but feel that this decision is somewhat unfair to British wrestling fans, as England has been campaigning for what seems like forever to host WrestleMania on its shores.

England is WWE’s second-largest fan base, and their passion for wrestling is well-documented. John Cena got fans even more excited about such a prospect when, at Money in the Bank in 2023, he made a strong pitch for WWE to hold WrestleMania in London, stating, “UK fans have earned the right.” The proclamation led many to believe such a landmark event was on the horizon.

After all, wrestling promotions don’t usually tease something like this unless it’s happening, right?

While WWE did not announce a date for WrestleMania 43, they did officially announce a date for the 2026 Royal Rumble, which will be held on January 31st and previously announced for Saudi Arabia. WON reported that WWE originally wanted to hold off on holding Saudi-helmed WrestleMania until 2028. However, Turki Al-Sheikh had the money to push it through.

WON also reported that holding the event in 2027 will coincide with Saudi Arabia’s 300th anniversary, celebrated annually on February 22, known as Founding Day. The money being thrown around for this event will make it the most money ever spent to put on a wrestling event. A good portion of the astronomical amount of money Turki Al-Sheikh is paying for the show will fund his penchant for having WWE bring in superstars from the past

The Rock is already rumored for the event, and he recently lost a lot of size and muscle, which means he will have under two years to get back into People’s Champion shape. The obvious opponents for Thebe Rock would be either Roman Reigns or Cody Rhodes.

Goldberg had his retirement match in July. Perhaps, another Saudi payday might motivate him to work another match. Goldberg’s retirement was self-imposed, so it’s not as if WWE will have to find a creative loophole around a loser-leaves-town stipulation.

Sting said he knows he’ll never wrestle again after announcing his multiyear legends deal with AEW in 2024. What if that deal expires just in time for Turki Al-Sheikh to make an offer too large for Sting to refuse?

Stone Cold Steve Austin is a proud wrestler who wants to put on a good show instead of coasting on his name in a subpar performance. It explains why it took him 19 years to come out of retirement for a match with Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38.

Rumors have persisted that another match is on the horizon for the “Texas Rattlesnake.” A little under two years to prepare, and the biggest payday of his illustrious career could convince Austin to lace up the boots come WrestleMania 43.

Can anyone say Steve Austin vs. CM Punk?

John Cena is in the final leg of his retirement tour, with the finish line set for December 13, 2025. Cena spoke candidly on Stephanie McMahon’s podcast about the pain he deals with, stating that his skills have regressed due to how badly his body is beaten up.

While wrestlers always return eventually, pain changes everything. Cena is making bank with a flourishing Hollywood career, which is less painful than the grind of the squared circle, making the 17-time world champion less susceptible to the allure of a big in-ring payday.

The streets say Chris Jericho will finish with AEW at the end of the year and will return to WWE at the 2026 Royal Rumble. I don’t know if Triple H sees Jericho as a big star due to their tumultuous history behind the scenes. Sure, they got along later, but with Triple H handling the book, can Jericho truly trust “The Game?”

For all we know, Jericho will resign with AEW; however, it feels that the time of “Demo God” or “The Learning Tree” in the promotion has run its course. If financially viable for him personally, Jericho might want to hold off on a return until WrestleMania 2027. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and more time away could equal maximum return on the investment of “Y2J.”

Shawn Michaels has repeatedly stated that he wishes he had never come out of retirement for his match at Crown Jewel 2018, where he teamed up with Triple H against Undertaker and Kane. The match was a trainwreck, and many would love to have it burned from their memory.

Micheals is another wrestler who is proud of his work in the ring and will be nearly 62 years old when WrestleMania 43 rolls around. Will the allure of a multi-million dollar payday be too strong for HBK to turn away?

Undertaker, Kane, Ric Flair (Please, no), and any retired/older wrestler with a big name will have an opportunity to score one more big payday. Turki Al-Sheikh is nostalgic for the stars of yesteryear. Reportedly, Turki requested that WWE book Yokozuna and the Ultimate Warrior for the inaugural event in Saudi Arabia, 2018’s Greatest Royal Rumble. The request went unfulfilled on account of both men being dead.

Turki Al-Sheikh’s desire to see stars from the past indicates the lack of big stars WWE has created in nearly two decades. Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes are the biggest stars in WWE’s contemporary landscape. Vince McMahon helmed Reigns’ ascension to the top of the card, and for most of Rhodes’ run to the top, which Triple H inherited.

Triple H has not yet developed a bona fide star from start to finish. He’s been WWE’s Chief Creative Officer in an uninterrupted capacity for only two years. There are rumors that Bron Breakker, Jacob Fatu, and Rhea Ripley are his top choices to elevate as main event attractions.

WrestleMania in Saudi Arabia was always going to happen. It was just a question of when. It probably would have happened sooner if not for the pandemic. Now, it’s a reality, and it’s conjuring a lot of bad feelings.

There are also many people who don’t care how their bread is buttered when it comes to WrestleMania offerings, and the majority of those who complain about the setting are going to watch it anyhow.

Still, feelings are understandable. Hopefully, WWE can create new marquee superstars between now and 2027 to avoid an over-reliance on the past and to set the table for the genre moving forward.

Begun, the Disney Era Has: WWE’s Future on ESPN

There was a time when the idea of WrestleMania airing on ESPN seemed ridiculous. A different television landscape, where cable is struggling and streaming is king, created a powerful tag team between the worldwide leaders in sports and sports entertainment.

ESPN will broadcast WWE’s premium live events (PLEs) starting in April 2026 with WrestleMania 42. The deal, announced by WWE and Disney, includes ten PLEs each year, featuring major events like WrestleMania, Royal Rumble, SummerSlam, Survivor Series, and Money in the Bank.

Reportedly, the deal is worth $1.6 billion over five years, or $320 million annually. WWE PLEs will air on ESPN’s new direct-to-consumer streaming service, launching August 21 for $29.99 per month. The last PLE to air on Peacock in 2025 will be Survivor Series on November 29. Peacock will air the Royal Rumble in January 2026. It’s unclear if Peacock will air WWE’s February PLE, Elimination Chamber. NXT PLEs are excluded from the ESPN deal.

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Cody Rhodes on Hot Ones: Wrestling, WWE, and Spicy Wings

WATCH FULL EPISODE HERE

Cody Rhodes is the latest guest to take on the wings of death on this week’s episode of Hot Ones. He discusses Travis Scott busting his eardrum; believing his WrestleMania 40 match against Roman Reigns to be one of the best ever; people looking down on the wrestling industry; his dad, Dusty Rhodes, teaching him to cut promos in the produce section at the grocery store; and using Austin Theory, John Cena, Paul Heyman, Bret Hart, Stone Cold and Hulk Hogan to build the ultimate pro wrestler.

On people looking down on the wrestling industry (2:07):

“Well, I actually think, so a lot of times fans outside our world might underestimate the intelligence of our audience. That’s kind of a low hanging fruit in terms of who watches sports entertainment? Who watches wrestling? And then I feel like it’s always a mistake because you’ll get out there and realize it’s such a wide variety. From the kids, you know I think I’m a bit of a kids act myself, but then there’s these people who’ve grown up with it and it’s this performance theater that is one of a kind. People might look down, a little bit down at our industry and think there’s nothing artistic about what we do. When really, I mean, gosh. We get to go out there and physically- I do something to you, you do something to me that makes them go up, makes them go down, that makes them upset, that makes them happy. And, as a no pun intended, a white meat babyface, as I am labeled, it can be some of the most fun ever and some of the biggest challenges. Because again the audience is sophisticated, as well as the performers.

Credit: First We Feast/Hot Ones

On Travis Scott busting his eardrum (8:52):

“I wish I could tell you it wasn’t true. Because I wanted anyone else to have the credit for that. So, you’ve got Rock in the ring. You’ve got Cena in the ring. But my man Travis, who, nothing but love for, he has a big old hand. So yes, it did bust my eardrum. If anyone ever wonders why I didn’t slap him, first hit him with a Cross Rhodes, he’s gracing us with his presence. Wrestling right now, again we’re getting all these fun folks but years ago it wasn’t that easy. And now here he comes. I want you to come back man. Our house is your house. You know, maybe swing less but our house is your house. So yeah, no, Travis did do that, that’s a fact.”

On his dad, Dusty Rhodes, teaching him to cut promos in the produce section at the grocery store (10:20):

“He’d be like hey look at that lettuce over there. Look at it looking at you. What are you gonna tell that lettuce? He never really put me on the spot. He’d just get into it. Oh yeah. Lettuce, over there by the tomato. And that’s why people like you. But they don’t like lettuce. He’d get into this whole thing, I’m like what? And you’d see other people like what is this man? But yeah, he’d always make the produce jealous of one another. My wife Miss Shelly told me I gotta come get the lettuce but I don’t want it. Yeah, it was a whole thing. If you can cut a promo on the produce section, he’d say you’d be pretty well off.”

On using Austin Theory, John Cena, Paul Heyman, Bret Hart, Stone Cold and Hulk Hogan to build the ultimate pro wrestler (12:23):

“Look. I’m going to make a super controversial choice. People right now, you’re going to hear the collective groan of wrestling social media and the IWC. Look, I’m going with a young guy, Austin Theory. When you check the box of oh, he looks great, we could teach him. Mic skills, they need edge. Yeah, they need 8 Mile. They need you to bring it down. And you have to be sharper than that person. I’d probably say, a combination, and you can pick either or, of a John Cena, who will never allow someone to top him, or a Mr. Heyman. Because that’s a different level of thought. Everything you’re saying is mattering in this moment. He’s judging you. He’s also enjoying it. He’s also planning for you. By the time I’m done with this sentence, he’s got a path for me. And I’m either with him or against him. Technical wrestling, probably Bret Hart. It wasn’t just the moves. It was the punches, the forearms. The best finishing move. I’d say it’s probably a tossup between Stone Cold Stunner and Hogan’s leg drop.”

On believing his WrestleMania 40 match against Roman Reigns to be one of the best ever (14:40):

“The first one we watch is Sting versus Ric Flair from The Great American Bash. And the second one is we watch Bret Hart versus Mr. Perfect from SummerSlam. Yeah, those two. I might say the WrestleMania 40, which I’m in. I went from being the guy who was away from there, trash talking it, started a whole ’nother thing and to come in, earn my place back and then them say hey, it’s all yours. Like literally, like how? How? Yeah, so it might be 40.”

Cody’s Reaction to Da Bomb hot sauce (15:33)