Cody Rhodes Breaks Down in Tears After John Cena’s Final WWE Match

John Cena’s retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event ended with an emotional shocker—Cena tapping out to GUNTHER in front of a sold-out crowd at Capital One Arena. But the real emotional moment came afterwards, during the post-show, when Cody Rhodes was interviewed and visibly fought back tears while speaking about Cena’s legacy.

In an interview with Jackie Redmond, Cody Rhodes struggled to find the words as he reflected on the loss and what Cena meant to the business.

“It’s really hard to describe, in the sense of all the positives he brought to our industry and leaving it better than we found it. Wrestling is… there’s a way it ends. He did everything right by the book, and it’s still like — when it’s that good, you don’t want it to end.”

Trying to hold it together, Cody Rhodes continued as he admitted he tried to not get emotional but looking at Cena’s sneakers in the ring was a lot for him to deal with.

“I’m not trying to get emotional on his night, but more than anything, take a moment and think about those sneakers, and the pump-ups before that, and the man that filled those, and what he was able to do through good and bad times.”

The American Nightmare also praised the atmosphere and the fans in the building and pointed out how no one booed Cena at all.

“Tonight, everyone was just chanting ‘Let’s Go Cena’ — not a ‘Cena sucks’ chant in the house. It’s everything. I’m so happy that it happened. It’s a great, great arena with wrestling history, and I’m so glad it happened there.”

Cody Rhodes revealed that he immediately accepted Triple H’s invitation to be part of the event:

“Triple H asked me if I was going to be part of Saturday Night’s Main Event. Are you kidding? To be part of the final show of Cena, to be able to bask in this glory and hope…”

He also touched on John Cena’s role as a mentor to the locker room and made it clear how fans in attendance didn’t leave until Cena left.

“John led with his mind. He’s a businessman, and he was trained by businessmen, and he trained us to be businessmen. So to go out here where you’ve got 19,000 people and not a soul leaves until he leaves — that’s a sign he had a great career, and we can only hope to have something like that. Hats off to the greatest of all time.”

The crowd may have booed the finish—chanting “bullsh*t” after Cena tapped—but the emotions backstage were real. Cena’s impact stretched far beyond wins and losses, and Rhodes’ words served as a genuine tribute from a peer, a fan, and someone who’s aiming to carry that legacy forward.

Cena’s final match was the end of an era—and for many, including Cody Rhodes, it felt like saying goodbye to a foundation of everything WWE has been for the past 20 years.

What did you think of Cody Rhodes’ emotional reaction to John Cena’s farewell? Was the match ending the right call—or should John Cena have gone out on top? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

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