The event featured John Cena's final match in his 26-year wrestling career, and his opponent was determined by a tournament titled the Last Time Is Now Tournament, which was ultimately won by Gunther. In addition to Cena's match, the card saw exhibition matches that pitted main roster wrestlers from WWE's Raw and SmackDown brands against NXT wrestlers as well as one wrestler from TNA, a decision by Cena to showcase up-and-coming wrestlers.
In December 2024, the American professional wrestling company WWE revived its Saturday Night's Main Event series of television specials on NBC as part of USA Network's acquisition of rights to Friday Night SmackDown in the United States. This also included Saturday Night's Main Event being simulcast on NBC's streaming service Peacock in the US, with WWE's YouTube channel streaming the program internationally. In August 2025, after Peacock lost the rights to WWE's main roster supercards in the United States to ESPN, it was revealed that Saturday Night's Main Event would move exclusively to Peacock under a multi-year deal beginning in November 2025, with the December 13, 2025, edition featuring John Cena's retirement match.[2][3][4] In May, it had been reported that WWE were considering to host the event in Boston, Massachusetts, as Cena is from West Newbury (about 40 miles from Boston),[5] but during the September 29 episode of Monday Night Raw, it was confirmed that the event would take place at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.[6]
Storylines
The event included four matches that resulted from scripted storylines. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw, SmackDown, and NXTbrands,[7][8] while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, Monday Night Raw, Friday Night SmackDown, and NXT.[9]
John Cena wrestled the final match of his 26-year professional wrestling career in the main event of the show.
At Money in the Bank in July 2024, John Cena, who had been signed to WWE since 2001 and performing on its main roster since 2002, announced that he would retire from in-ring competion at the end of 2025.[10] During the Raw premiere on Netflix on January 6, 2025, Cena officially kicked off his retirement tour that would go through December and consist of 36 dates, which included appearances and matches.[11] Throughout the tour, Cena achieved some notable accolades to cap off his career. At Elimination Chamber in March, he turned heel for the first time since 2003.[12] At WrestleMania 41 in April, he won the Undisputed WWE Championship for a record 14th time, which also made him a record-setting 17-time world champion as recognized by WWE;[13] he held the title until SummerSlam, turning back to face right before the event.[14] Finally on the November 10 episode of Raw in Boston, he won the WWE Intercontinental Championship for the first time, which also made him a WWE Triple Crown and WWE Grand Slam champion;[15] he lost the title at Survivor Series: WarGames later that month.[16] In August, it was officially announced that Cena's last match would take place at Saturday Night's Main Event XLII on December 13, and it was later confirmed that his final opponent would be decided in the Last Time Is Now Tournament, which began on the November 10 episode of Raw.[17] The final of the Last Time Is Now Tournament took place on the December 5 episode of SmackDown, where Raw's Gunther defeated LA Knight, also from Raw, to become Cena's final opponent at the event.[18]
Also on the November 10 episode of Raw, John Cena announced a series of exhibition matches that would feature NXT wrestlers against main roster wrestlers from Raw and SmackDown, a decision by Cena as instead of having the entire show dedicated to him, he wanted to use the event to showcase up-and-coming wrestlers.[15] On the December 5 episode of SmackDown, the brand's Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes announced to NXT ChampionRicky Saints and Oba Femi that the winner of their title match the following night at NXT Deadline would face him at Saturday Night's Main Event in a Champion vs. Champion non-title match.[18] Femi subsequently defeated Saints to win the NXT Championship and face Rhodes at Saturday Night's Main Event.[19] Also on the December 5 episode of SmackDown, it was announced that Raw's Bayley would face NXT's Sol Ruca at the event.[18] Three nights later on Raw, it was announced that Raw's World Tag Team ChampionsAJ Styles and Dragon Lee would face NXT's Je'Von Evans and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's (TNA) X-Division ChampionLeon Slater in a non-title match at the event.[20]
The opening contest was a Champion vs. Champion match, marking NXT Champion Oba Femi's first match in the main roster against Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes. Femi used his size advantage to overpower Rhodes early into the match. Rhodes gained brief momentum by sending Femi into the ringpost, allowing him to hit a powerslam and the Cody Cutter, but Femi kicked out at two. Femi hit an uppercut to block a suicide dive attempt by Rhodes. However, Rhodes connected with a suicide dive in his second attempt. Rhodes attempted to hit another suicide dive but Femi hit a spinebuster in the ring. Femi then clotheslined Rhodes over the top rope, followed by a sprinting European uppercut on the outside that sent Rhodes crashing into the announce desk, causing Rhodes to bleed heavily from the ear. Back in the ring, Femi hit a chokeslam for a close near-fall. Rhodes eventually countered Femi's attempted pop-up move into a second Cody Cutter for a near-fall. The match ended with a disqualification when Drew McIntyre interfered and attacked Rhodes. Femi, angered by the interruption, immediately confronted and shoved McIntyre. Rhodes and Femi then cooperated to fend off McIntyre, hitting him with a Cutter and a chokeslam, respectively. Following the attack, Rhodes showed a sign of respect by presenting the NXT Championship belt back to Femi, and the two champions stood together in celebration.[21]
The next match featured Bayley, who was accompanied by Lyra Valkyria, taking on NXT's Sol Ruca, who was accompanied by Zaria. The match began with technical wrestling as Bayley controlled Ruca's arm. Ruca countered with a flipping headscissors and an X-Factor, before hitting a handspring over the top rope onto Bayley outside the ring. Bayley eventually gained control by hitting a front suplex that drove Ruca's head into the turnbuckle. Ruca recovered and hit a DDT off the top rope. Bayley hit the Bayley to Belly and later the Rose Plant, but Ruca's foot was on the rope to stop the pin. Ruca got her knees up to counter a top rope elbow drop by Bayley. Ruca then performed the Sol Snatcher. Bayley attempted to roll through Ruca's pin, but Ruca regained control to secure the upset victory.[21]
Next, AJ Styles and Dragon Lee defended the World Tag Team Championship against NXT's Je’Von Evans and TNA X Division Champion Leon Slater. Evans and Slater started the match at an extremely high pace. They isolated Lee with quick tags and fast-paced offense. Lee managed to escape and sent Evans to the outside, then countered Slater with a sit-out powerbomb. The teams exchanged dives to the outside. Back in the ring, Evans connected with a springboard Cutter, immediately followed by a swanton 450 splash from Slater. Dragon Lee broke up the subsequent pin attempt. Lee dove onto Evans outside the ring. Inside, Styles attempted to hit the Styles Clash on Slater, but Slater broke free. Styles then attempted the Phenomenal Forearm but slipped on the top rope. Styles quickly recovered, catching Slater and successfully executing the Styles Clash to secure the pinfall victory.[21]
During a segment before the main event, The Miz interrupted hosts Stephanie McMahon and Joe Tessitore. He expressed frustration over being excluded from the event, citing his victory over John Cena at WrestleMania XXVII. R-Truth then appeared to accuse The Miz of stealing a spot in The Last Time Is Now tournament. Truth presented Miz with a ball containing the name of the person whose opportunity he had stolen. That name was Joe Hendry. Hendry made a surprise appearance, confronting and attacking The Miz. R-Truth and Hendry then teamed up to hit a double Five-Knuckle Shuffle on Miz. Hendry hit the Standing Ovation, and R-Truth comically counted the pinfall.[21]
Main event
Gunther was Cena's final opponent. In the main event, he made Cena tap out for the first time in 22 years.
The main event was John Cena's retirement match against the winner of The Last Time Is Now Tournament, Gunther. The match began with Gunther controlling the pace with his European uppercuts and heavy chops that knocked Cena to his knees. Cena rallied with his signature shoulder tackles into the Five-Knuckle Shuffle. He attempted the Attitude Adjustment (AA) but Gunther countered with a suplex and locked in the sleeper hold. Cena escaped and applied the STFU; Gunther broke the hold by touching the ropes. Gunther regained the momentum by hitting a powerbomb and four consecutive clotheslines. Cena ducked the fifth clothesline and hit a second Five-Knuckle Shuffle and the AA, but Gunther kicked out at two. Gunther immediately locked in another sleeper hold. The action moved outside, where Cena countered a powerbomb attempt and hit an AA through the table. Back in the ring, Gunther kicked out. The two continued to trade finishers and high-impact maneuvers, such as Cena's leg drop from the top rope and an Avalanche AA from the middle rope, both of which failed to secure the pinfall. Gunther countered a third AA attempt with a powerbomb and a Frog Splash, but Cena again kicked out at two. The closing moments involved Gunther repeatedly applying the sleeper hold while Cena tried to power out as the crowd chanted "Don't give up!" in support of Cena. The match ended when Cena, while smiling, finally tapped out to Gunther's sleeper hold, officially marking the end of Cena's in-ring professional wrestling career.[21]
Post-match
After the main event, the crowd applauded Cena and cheered him with various chants such as "Thank You, Cena!" before several WWE officials, current and retired wrestlers, and referees came out and surrounded the ring, which included talents from Raw, Smackdown, and NXT. Some of the legends included The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, Rob Van Dam, Trish Stratus, Mark Henry and Kurt Angle. Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes and World Heavyweight ChampionCM Punk then presented Cena with both of their championship belts for him to lift as a gesture to the crowd. WWE's Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque, who notably got a chorus of boos from the audience, then showed Cena a video package highlighting his career as a professional wrestler, with "I Lived" by American pop rock band OneRepublic being played in the background. After taking a few bows, Cena then removed his sneakers and armbands he used during the match and placed them in the center of the ring, before leaving to give one final salute on the stage as the show went off the air.[21]
Reception
After the main event, many fans booed and insulted WWE creative head Paul "Triple H" Levesque when he appeared in the ring, as well as during his interview on the post-show. Numerous taunts chanted by fans during the post-show included, "you fucked up," "fuck you, Hunter," "we want Vince," and "AEW".[22][23][24] Jason Powell of Pro Wrestling Dot Net stated that "the fans were obviously hoping for the feel-good ending of Cena beating Gunther", but "got Gunther retiring another wrestler".[21] According to Sean Ross Sapp, the WWE locker room was divided about the ending of the match.[25]
Mixed martial arts journalist Ariel Helwani criticised Cena submission loss stating: "John Cena deserved better".[26] On the contrary, PWInsider's Mike Johnson praised the submission loss.[27]
Brent Brookhouse of CBS Sports gave the main event a grade of A, stating that "Gunther is a man who can put on a good match with anyone, and Cena did the right thing by not only losing, but tapping out to give Gunther that feather in his cap. It's hard to have asked for much more from Cena in his final match".[28]Wade Keller of Pro Wrestling Torch stated that the match had "the right finish", but said the crowd would have better suited Dominik Mysterio as Cena's final opponent.[1]Roger Clark, best known for portraying Arthur Morgan in Red Dead Redemption 2, said of the match: "I know some of you disagree, but John Cena’s last match was one of the most poetic things I’ve ever seen in the WWE. Time waits for no one but he controlled his goodbye."[29]
Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter rated the main event between John Cena and Gunther 4.5 stars out of 5, the highest of the event. For the rest of the card, he gave the tag team match 3.5 stars, the Bayley-Sol Ruca bout 3.75 stars, and the opening contest 3.25 stars.[30]
Aftermath
A few days prior to the event on December 9, it was revealed that John Cena had signed a five-year extension to remain with WWE as a brand ambassador following his retirement from in-ring competition.[31]
Raw
Gunther opened the subsequent episode of Raw, where he was met with torrid boos and several hostile chants. He proceeded to gloat about making John Cena tap out and taunted the crowd before making his way backstage, where he was dismissed by Raw General ManagerAdam Pearce.[32]
The Last Time Is Now Tournament was held to determine John Cena's opponent in Cena's retirement match at Saturday Night's Main Event XLII on December 13, 2025. The tournament began on the November 10 episode of Raw in Cena's hometown of Boston, Massachusetts and concluded on the December 5 episode of SmackDown in Austin, Texas.
1st Round Raw November 10–17, 2025 SmackDown November 14–21, 2025
Quarterfinals Raw November 24, 2025 SmackDown November 21, 2025 (Aired: November 28)
↑On November 21, WWE announced that quarterfinalist Sheamus suffered a shoulder injury and was no longer medically cleared to compete in the tournament. The Miz won a lottery to replace him.[37]
↑During their match, Penta injured his shoulder, resulting in Sikoa winning via referee stoppage.[39]
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