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Cody Rhodes Emotionally Reflects On John Cena’s Last Match at Saturday Night’s Main Event

December 14, 2025 | Posted by Jeremy Thomas
Jackie Redmond Cody Rhodes WWE Saturday Night's Main Event 12-13-25, Nikki Bella Image Credit: WWE

Cody Rhodes was overcome with emotion following John Cena’s final match at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event. Cena lost to Gunther in the main event of last night’s show, tapping out to the Ring General in the main event. It was the final moment of Cena’s in-ring career.

During the post-show, Rhodes stayed at ringside after the show and Jackie Redmond caught up with him to ask him his reaction. Rhodes was visibly emotional as he reacted to the moment. You can see the highlights from Rhodes’ comments below:

On His Reaction In the Moment:

“It is really hard to describe in a sense of all the positives that he brought to our industry, and leaving it better than he found it. And ah, wrestling is — there is a way it ends, you know? And he did everything right, by the book. It’s still, like — when it’s that good, you don’t want it to end. I know that is vague, but he did every thing by the book and taught so many people, and set such a high standard, such a high bar. I’m not trying to get emotional on his night. But more than anything, just taking a moment and think about those sneakers, and the pump-ups before that. And the man who filled those and what he was able to do. Through good times, through bad times.

‘Tonight, everyone is chanting ‘Let’s go Cena.’ Not ‘Let’s go Cena’ and ‘Cena sucks.’ Just ‘Let’s go Cena.’ It’s everything. I am so happy it happened. It’s a great, great arena with great wrestling history, and I am so sad it happened, too.”

On Being Part of the Show:

“Triple H called me and asked me if I would be part of Saturday Night’s Main Event. And always, wrestlers act like, ‘Oh, that’s such a big ask.’ Are you kidding? To be part of John Cena’s final show, to be able to bask in this glory, in this house? There’s a number, I’m sure Triple H is reading it right now. The amount of sellouts, the amount of things John did. And I know that sounds really material, but John led with his heart and also with his mind. He was a businessman and he was trained by businessmen, and he trained us to be businessmen. So to go out here where you have 19,000 people, whatever it was, and not a soul leaves until he leaves? That is the sign of — not a good career, a great career. And we can only hope to have something like that. Really, hats off to the greatest of all time.”

On Cena Going Out the Way He Wanted:

“I heard CM Punk say that earlier, ‘We don’t get to choose.’ Sinatra said it best, ‘My Way.’ There was no one who did it more their way than John. To be able to come in and do this, and do it on the way out and do the honors — there will never be another like John Cena. You hear a lot of people like, ‘This is the next John Cena, This is the next Brock Lesnar, the next Kurt Angle, the next Triple H. There’s never a ‘next anybody.’ Everyone is unique when they make it, and when they can truly get over like John did, where he couldn’t leave the house without people wanting to touch him, and know him and be part of what John was doing. It is just a moment to take a look at — that’s a high bar but that is what we are supposed to shoot for. And to John, he would say the same think, that’s what we are supposed to shoot beyond…”

“I’m really honored I could be here. And the good thing about WWE is, we go right back to work Monday. And it’s WWE without John Cena; what does that look like? Who steps up, I mean it’s right there. Who steps up and fills those shoes? And I have a feeling it’s more than one person.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WWE with a h/t to 411mania.com for the transcription.