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How Triple H Botched John Cena’s Farewell Tour?

By Monika Thapa • Published Dec 14, 2025 08:23 EST
John Cena WWE

John Cena wrestled his last match against Gunther on Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13.

Cena’s farewell tour began this year, and WWE had several months to prepare as the WWE legend publicly announced his retirement at Money in the Bank in July 2024.

The retirement tour was good, and fans witnessed some memorable moments, but many believe that it could have been better.

There are certain aspects of the farewell tour that WWE fans didn’t like because they wanted a dream send-off for The Never Seen 17.

Triple H Fumbles John Cena’s Farewell Tour

Cena kicked off the tour at Royal Rumble and turned heel at Elimination Chamber, ditching the heroic “Never Give Up” vibe for a cocky edge.

Many fans felt that the heel turn was completely unnecessary and even felt forced.

It clashed with Cena’s legacy, with many fans claiming that WWE messed with the formula instead of letting him shine as the babyface GOAT.

Cena promised 30-40 matches after his July 6, 2024, Money in the Bank announcement, but Triple H booked just a handful, leaving fans shortchanged on that epic farewell run.

Fans wanted to see Cena wrestle more and enjoy his last year revisiting his past rivalries, but Triple H booked him for approximately 13 to 14 matches with only a few rivals from the past.

The WWE Universe wanted to see a marquee match between John Cena and Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza.

But instead, Triple H crushed their spirits with a brutal squash match, which saw Cena getting demolished in under 10 minutes.

Fans also slammed Triple H for wasting a golden chance to revisit John Cena vs. AJ Styles, one of WWE’s hottest rivalries from 2016-2017.

There was no build-up, no promos, no confrontations, just a simple duel at Crown Jewel.

Then, on December 13, Saturday Night’s Main Event saw Cena tap to Gunther’s sleeper hold, shattering the “Never Give Up” mantra and drawing “You f***ed up” chants at Triple H.

What hurt the Cenation the most was that Cena’s legendary WWE in-ring career concluded with two consecutive losses in his final two matches.

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