WWE chief content officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque took the brunt of the criticism, with fans hurling vulgar insults at him when he made his way out to embrace Cena. Speaking to TMZ Sports, Gunther said he knew that there would be a hostile vibe hours before the match took place.

Former WWE World Champion Gunther has opened up about the immediate reaction he received after retiring John Cena.

Gunther won the Last Time is Now tournament, earning the right to face John Cena in his last match. Gunther was victorious in the bout, tapping out Cena. It was the second legend Gunther has retired in 2025, previously defeating Goldberg. Speaking to Cody Rhodes on What Do You Want To Talk About? Cena expressed his admiration for Gunther.

The result from Saturday Night's Main Event continues to reverberate throughout WWE, with fans still in disbelief that John Cena tapped out to Gunther in his last match.

Most fans were expecting Gunther to beat John Cena at Saturday Night's Main Event. It's the nature of Gunther's win that has left some fans outraged. The reaction to Cena tapping out to The Ring General has been so visceral, Gunther believes there are comparisons to be drawn between that moment and the end of The Undertaker's streak.

It was brought up that GUNTHER defeating John Cena in his final match could be equivalent to Brock Lesnar ending Undertaker's streak.

WWE higher-ups were reportedly surprised by the fans' negative reaction to John Cena tapping out to Gunther in his retirement match at Saturday Night's Main Event over the weekend.

John Cena called time on his career with a smile on his face as he tapped out to Gunther at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The crowd was first stunned, with shots of several audience members aghast at the events that had just unfolded.