PARKS’S TAKE: I liked John Cena smiling before he tapped out to Gunther and here’s why

The ride wasn’t always smooth getting there. But ultimately, I thought WWE stuck the landing on the John Cena retirement tour, with the presentation of and his final bout against Gunther on Saturday night.

Many of the right notes were struck in the lead-up to the event. Video packages and clips of John Cena’s interview with Tom Rinaldi were used well. It was a nice substitute for the lack of Cena himself, which I actually think benefited the build in some ways. We’ve heard from Cena so much, I’m not sure what else there would be for him to add verbally to the moment. And sometimes, the less said, the better. This felt like one of those times.

Creating a tournament to find the final opponent was a good way to make that match mean even more and acknowledge that lots of people would want to vie to be in that position. Conducting the tournament was another way for WWE and the announcers to keep plugging Cena’s finale in his absence. While I believe Gunther was probably the right opponent for Cena to face, I think it would’ve meant a bit more had Gunther not already retired Goldberg in a similar manner – and on an episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event, no less.

ARTICLE CONTINUED BELOW…

Check out the latest episode of “Wrestling Night in America,” part of the PWTorch Dailycast line-up: CLICK HERE to stream (or search “pwtorch” on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or any other iOS or Android app to subscribe free)

Whether it was truly Cena’s idea or not (I tend to think it was), the idea to use the undercard for NXT talent was a nice touch. By not having to worry about advancing other main roster storylines on the evening, it guaranteed the night would truly belong to Cena and be his moment. As if Cena’s retirement wasn’t special enough, infusing the rest of the show with NXT talent did make this feel even more special, different than if it had just been other matches tacked onto a Cena retirement.

I know there will be those who believe it’s too hokey or too cute, but I liked Cena smiling before he ultimately tapped out. I don’t think it took away from Gunther’s win at all, and I think Cena losing was clearly the right move here. The post-match theatrics and video package were well-done, even if Triple H got roasted by the live crowd who know he’s got the book and was the one that gave the final okay for Cena’s loss that they just witnessed.

Once again, having Cena go out without a long monologue or a big thank you I think worked, too. Leave them wanting more, even in retirement. We’ll undoubtedly hear from Cena again, either on TV or in his Hall of Fame induction speech. Leave the parting words for then.

WWE deserves criticism for how they handled the follow-up to Cena’s heel turn earlier in the year, as well as the one-sided loss to Brock Lesnar that didn’t seem to lead to anything. But the ending tends to mean more than any other chapter in the story, and WWE deserves credit for wrapping this one up nicely.

UP NEXT… WWE COO Paul “Triple H” Levesque defends finish of Cena vs. Gunther match