Backstage Report On John Cena Losing To Gunther In His Farewell Match

John Cena tapping out to Gunther in his final match was not on the bingo card of his fans, especially the ones who packed the Capital One Arena to the rafters to witness the GOAT call time on his pro wrestling career.

And so when it eventually happened, they predictably rained down boos aimed at WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H, who made his way to the ring after the match. The boos didn’t stop during the post-show either.

In the latest edition of Wrestling Observer Radio, Bryan Alvarez and Dave Meltzer discussed the backlash from fans and who was ultimately responsible for the finish. They suggested that Cena probably came up with the idea of him going out on his back in his final in-ring outing, with Triple H ultimately giving his nod of approval.

“Here’s the thing: it was John Cena’s decision, okay? But even if it was, Triple H could’ve said, ‘No, you’re actually not losing your last match.’ Or ‘No, you’re not going to quit.’ I mean, he could’ve said that. I think people are thinking that Triple H made a call and, like, John Cena maybe didn’t want to do it or whatever. I mean, that didn’t happen. John Cena, I’m sure, wanted to lose. But Triple H did not stop him. He did not say ‘No, I’m not going to let you do it,'” Alvarez said.

“At the end of the day, it was Paul’s decision. And hey, if people are mad, that’s who you boo,” Meltzer added. [H/T: Wrestling Inc.]

Following the match, Fightful Select reported that Triple H was smiling in Gorilla as the match came to its conclusion, as the crowd’s reaction to Gunther was something that the company specifically desired.

Speechless. 😔 pic.twitter.com/BEfg0Fqd4Z

— WWE (@WWE) December 14, 2025

TRIPLE H GETS LOUDLY BOOED 😭😭😭

DESERVED.#SNME pic.twitter.com/Jli4FFErlp

— TribaI Wrestling (@TribalMegastar) December 14, 2025