Why WWE Chose Gunther For John Cena’s Final Match

Last week’s WWE SmackDown witnessed the conclusion of the “Last Time Is Now” tournament.

In the final, Gunther squared off against LA Knight, who put on a stellar show to go toe-to-toe with The Ring General.

Gunther attacked the Megastar’s neck in the closing minutes, before applying a submission, which Knight could endure only for so long before tapping out.

Gunther opened the December 8 episode of WWE RAW, promising to make John Cena submit in his final bout, something he has not done in two decades. He last tapped out in a match against Kurt Angle in 2005.

The 38-year-old has been unstoppable since making his return on the November 17 episode of the red brand.

He had last competed at SummerSlam, where he lost the World Heavyweight Championship to CM Punk. During the match, he was bleeding through the nose, something that weaved into the angle due to an actual issue he faced in real life.

He subsequently underwent nose surgery before making his full-time return to the squared circle.

Gunther Is The Future Of WWE

During a recent episode of the Busted Open Podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray explained why the company chose Gunther as John Cena’s final opponent.

He stated that the company has a role for every wrestler, with Gunther seen as the future of the business.

Sometimes it’s predictable because that’s the business. They have plans for Dominik Mysterio. They have plans for Gunther. That’s why they did this.

They see the money in Dom. They see the money in Gunther. That’s why this is all done. And oh, by the way, why are things done? Hopefully, you understand why Brock Lesnar killed John Cena. Because it’s all for somebody in the future, and that guy is Gunther.

You pick the business at hand, and you go with it. This wasn’t about one John. It wasn’t about one person. It was about two. They’re using John Cena to make two major stars. One was in the tournament, one was out of the tournament. Only one person can win. [25:55 onwards]