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Did Vince McMahon Attend John Cena’s WWE Retirement Match?

By Sridhar Krishnan • Published Dec 14, 2025 11:02 EST
Vince McMahon at WWE press conference

For a few weeks, speculations about Vince McMahon attending John Cena’s final match made the rounds.

Cena debuted in the Stamford promotion in June 2002 with McMahon at the helm.

After refurbishing his persona into Dr. Thuganomics, he went on to become the face of the company around 2005. At WrestleMania 21, he won his first world title by defeating John Bradshaw Layfield (JBL).

When WWE entered the PG era, John Cena ditched the rapper gimmick, transitioning into a more children-friendly characted, wearing jean shorts and brightly colored t-shirts, which became his trademark for the remainder of his career.

Vince McMahon continued using Cena as the company’s top performer for another 10 years. Despite performing in a part-time capacity ever since, he maintained his loyalty to WWE and McMahon.

Amid McMahon’s sexual abuse and trafficking scandal, Cena attended his 80th birthday party in August 2025.

On December 13, Cena retired at Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII after competing in his final match against Gunther.

Despite speculations, the former boss was not in attendance, according to PWInsider. WWE, however, used an old video featuring him in a tribute vignette dedicated to John Cena, which was played after his match.

Vince McMahon Chants Heard After Saturday Night’s Main Event

2025 has been a mixed bag for WWE as far as storylines and character developments are concerned.

The creative team, headed by Triple H, received numerous flak from fans and critics for mishandling talent and weak storytelling.

Fans at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., were also not happy with how John Cena’s final match ended, as he tapped out to Gunther.

At the post-show, the fans chanted for Vince McMahon when commentator Michael Cole addressed the panel. Many believe that Cena would not have endured a similar fate if McMahon had produced the bout.