In the wake of John Cena’s emotional and controversial retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event, one of his greatest rivals, Seth Rollins, has shared his unique perspective on the finish that left the WWE Universe divided.
Speaking on the Ross Tucker Podcast, Rollins addressed the backlash Cena received for tapping out to the two-time World Heavyweight king Gunther in the final match of his legendary career. While many fans were vocal about their disappointment, arguing that Cena’s submission contradicted his 20-year “Never Give Up” mantra, Rollins viewed the moment through a more symbolic lens.
“I don’t know, I have so many mixed feelings on it. John is one of the greatest of all time. His whole thing is never give up, but it didn’t feel like he was; people were all over him for giving up, but it didn’t feel like he was giving up,” said Rollins.
“It felt like he was fading off into the sunset, like he had done his job, was happy to do it, and was handing the ball off. That’s sort of how I felt about it, and I might be in the minority about that, but at the end of the day, he smiled before he did it,” he added. “So there’s something poetic to that. I dunno, I love John, it’s hard for me to second-guess anything he does.”
The match, which took place on December 13 at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., saw Cena pass the torch to the “Ring General” in a hard-hitting encounter. Despite the loss, Cena received a massive standing ovation as he left his trademark towel, wristbands, and sneakers in the center of the ring, signaling the definitive end of his in-ring career.
