Konnan Blasts WWE’s John Cena Farewell Booking: “It’s Almost Like He Had Heat with the Office”

Veteran wrestling mind Konnan is not holding back when it comes to how John Cena’s farewell run played out in WWE.

On a recent episode of his Keepin’ It 100 podcast, Konnan shared his frustrations with the creative direction behind Cena’s retirement arc, calling it confusing, underwhelming, and ultimately a misread of what fans actually wanted. Referencing Cena’s late-career singles losses — including defeats to Dominik Mysterio and Gunther — Konnan said:

“The way they booked him, it’s almost like he had heat with the office.”

Konnan believes WWE missed a major opportunity to give fans a true emotional payoff during Cena’s final stretch. Instead of a celebration, he felt the audience was left watching a slow decline.

“Watching Cena lose match after match undermined the emotional payoff,” Konnan said, arguing that sellout crowds didn’t show up to see the 16-time world champion go out on his back over and over again.

While Konnan acknowledged that Cena may have willingly embraced the losses to leave behind a reputation of “giving back” — especially after years of criticism for holding others down — he didn’t agree with how it was handled.

“I understand the motivation, but the execution was way off,” Konnan added.

He also didn’t spare Cena’s early retirement promos, labeling them “overly familiar” and “lacking originality.” According to Konnan, WWE got “too cute” with the creative direction and tried too hard to subvert fan expectations. The result? Confusion, not impact.

“They failed to deliver when it mattered most,” Konnan said bluntly.

Despite the criticism, Konnan praised Cena’s professionalism and willingness to play ball with creative decisions — even if they, in his opinion, damaged the legacy WWE should have been celebrating.

Reports have indicated that both Cena and Triple H were hands-on in deciding the final moments of his career, including the booking of his last match. But Konnan’s view remains firm: a retirement tour should send a legend out with pride, not as a stepping stone for others without a meaningful payoff.

Do you agree with Konnan? Should Cena’s final matches have been booked differently, or did WWE get it right by letting him go out giving back? Let us know your thoughts below.