Gunther Tells Fans to “Stop Crying” After Ending John Cena’s Career in Final WWE Match

John Cena’s legendary WWE career came to a brutal end at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, but instead of a tearful goodbye, the night turned chaotic—and WWE wasn’t ready for it.

Inside Washington D.C.’s Capital One Arena, Cena was choked out by Gunther via sleeper hold, tapping out for the first time in a career-ending loss. But what happened after the bell is what had officials scrambling. According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the massive backlash from the live crowd blindsided WWE brass.

“The one thing that I can say is that even though they may say something different publicly, they were blindsided by that reaction,” Meltzer revealed. “The idea that we did it, we knew it was going to get heat, it’s just the price we pay. When they’re all chanting and he’s going, ‘Oh, I thought it would be louder,’ that was a defense mechanism… I was told there was no discussion of a reaction.”

The moment that was meant to honor Cena’s 20+ year career turned into an all-out revolt. Fans booed WWE Chief Content Officer Triple H during the post-match tribute and hijacked the segment with loud chants of “You f**ked up” and “AEW.”

Much of the outrage stemmed from the decision to have Cena tap out instead of going out with a more symbolic or respectful loss. While Gunther has been a dominant force, fans expected a more dignified send-off for one of WWE’s all-time greats.

But if anyone thought Gunther would show remorse? Think again. In a brutal post-match interview with TMZ Inside The Ring, Gunther was asked what he would say to the fans crushed by Cena’s retirement. His answer: no sympathy, just mockery.

“Stop crying. Okay. Life goes on.”

He didn’t stop there. Gunther mocked Cena’s legacy and took a shot at fans who bought into the “Never Give Up” mantra for too long.

“Everything — what is it in Germany? In German we got a saying that says, ‘Everything’s got an end, but a sausage’s got two.’ So if you’ve been naive enough to think that all of that ‘never give up’ stuff is going to hold up forever, then… yeah. Blame yourself. You’ve been naive enough.”

Later in the interview, Gunther turned his attention to the dramatic shift in how fans have treated Cena over the years—calling it straight-up hypocritical.

“All in this last run that Cena had — especially the second half of it — the connection people had to him is just amazing. I think I’ve never seen something like that before.”

“But it’s also funny when you think back… like 10, 15 years ago or something like that, maybe even longer — he was the most hated guy on the whole roster. He was a babyface, but he went out there and he got booed everywhere he went. People complained that he got shoved down their throats and whatever.”

“And here we are… yeah, 10, 15 years later and people act like that never happened. And now they all love him. Bit hypocritical if you ask me sometimes.”

Gunther didn’t just retire John Cena—he shattered the fairytale ending fans were hoping for. Whether you see it as disrespect or a raw dose of reality, one thing is clear: the WWE universe is still trying to process what went down.

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