What Were the Biggest Mistakes In ‘The Never Seen 17’s’ Retirement Tour?
John Cena’s career came to an end at Saturday Night’s Main Event after tapping out to his opponent ‘The Ring General’ Gunther. The Cena retirement tour featured many special moments, including Cena winning his 17th world title and capturing the Intercontinental Championship to become a Grand Slam champion. While there were plenty of highs during the year, there were also several decisions that left fans confused. Cena’s retirement was not perfect, and here are a few of the biggest mistakes WWE made during his final year as an active competitor.
A Heel Turn With No Clear Direction
Cena shocked the wrestling world at Elimination Chamber 2025 when he sold his soul to The Rock, low-blowing Cody Rhodes and turning heel in unexpected fashion. Now regarded as one of the most memorable heel turns since Hulk Hogan in 1996, fans were eager to see this new version of Cena, especially during his retirement tour. It became clear rather quickly that the heel turn lacked long-term direction. The Rock never reappeared on WWE television, leaving Cena aligned with rapper Travis Scott to help him win the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41. While the angle gained some momentum toward the end of its run, it was largely filled with repetitive promos and several matches that lacked clear storytelling purpose. The heel turn ended abruptly just before SummerSlam 2025 without explanation, leaving fans questioning whether the decision to turn Cena at all was worthwhile.
Losing to Brock Lesnar
Cena’s return to being a babyface was one of the best decisions WWE made during the retirement tour, as it reignited belief that “Super Cena” was back and ready for the matches fans wanted to see. While Brock Lesnar was not necessarily an opponent fans were eager to see during Cena’s final run, the matchup presented an opportunity for WWE to finally put Cena over against someone who had dominated him for years. Instead, Lesnar once again defeated Cena in decisive fashion at Wrestlepalooza. The outcome might have made sense if Cena had lost to a rising star, but falling to an already established figure like Lesnar felt unnecessary. Lesnar gained little from the victory, and Cena’s farewell tour took yet another direction that fans did not want to see.
The Unnecessary Matches
Fans appreciated Cena revisiting past rivalries against opponents such as CM Punk and Randy Orton. However, portions of the retirement tour also included matches many viewed as unnecessary. R-Truth is a beloved figure within the WWE Universe, yet his match against Cena at Saturday Night’s Main Event felt lackluster and inconsequential. Another opponent that left fans confused was Logan Paul. While Paul has proven to understand professional wrestling better than any celebrity before him, he was not someone fans were eager to see face Cena during his farewell tour. Paul also teamed with Cena in a tag match against Rhodes and Jey Uso at Money in the Bank. That match is remembered primarily for Truth’s return to the company after being released weeks earlier. While the bout led to Cena facing Rhodes at SummerSlam, there were no real consequences for the other participants, making it a match that did not need to happen.
