Josh Lawless
John Cena's final opponent has revealed what he plans to do during and after the huge match with the wrestling legend on Saturday.
Cena calls time on his decorated career in WWE at Saturday Night's Main Event in Washington, D.C - completing a retirement tour which began at the start of 2025 and signing off from in-ring competition after more than 20 years.
Former world heavyweight champion Gunther will be Cena's last ever dance partner after winning a 16-man tournament for the right to face him before he rides off into the sunset.
It will be the first and only time that the two have squared off in singles competition, with Gunther's only encounters being sharing two handshake with the history-making 17-time world champion.
Advert
But despite the emotion attached to it and the special opportunity afforded to him, Gunther, with his hard-hitting, no-nonsense style, does not plan on going easy against Cena and is out to spoil the party and brutalise the 48-year-old.
"I’m very excited to be in this spot," he told SPORTbible.
"It’s great to be in this position and I plan on taking advantage of that and enjoying it.
“To ruin the party on that day, that’s the big goal. It’s not just about beating him; it’s about making him give up – the more heartbreak I can create on that day the longer it’s going to stay in people’s memory so that’s what I’m aiming for.”
“No mercy for a retirement. If you step into the ring you get treated like everybody else.”
Gunther has already retired one wrestling legend this year, defeating Goldberg via submission in July. Hailing from Austria and achieving success on the independent scenes in Europe and not coming from the WWE system, he is anything but your typical WWE superstar.
There is an argument to say he wouldn't be in this spot under the previous regime.
But he brings an unrivalled legitimacy and going up against Cena, the ultimate superhero, is in many ways the perfect final showdown for the Peacemaker star.
“I think when you look at the big picture, that match is almost the ultimate passing the torch match," Gunther added.
“Cena represents a certain generation of WWE and what a WWE superstar is and I think I represent a very alternative scenario of what a WWE superstar is today.
“And with my background, coming from Europe and the indies, I’m not a WWE system guy – I think it’s a strong contrast in that sense."
“He’s the greatest sports entertainer of all time. Not the greatest professional wrestler. There is a big difference.”
Reports claim that Cena vs Gunther is poised to open the show on Saturday, where the rest of the show will include matches featuring the hottest talent from NXT against main roster talent - as per the request from the man of the moment.
A few years back, fellow WWE legend Edge had his final match in WWE against Sheamus in Toronto and the two celebrated afterwards with a pint of Guinness.
But while Gunther is prone to a beverage or two now and again, he does not intend on sharing them with Cena and is more likely to have a solo session.
“I like a pint here and there I’m not going to lie but we’ll see! If I win I might have a few pints but I’m not sure I’m going to have them with John Cena. I might just have them on my own and watch everybody else cry.”
There is a history of wrestlers retiring but not really staying true to their word - with Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels two of the most high-profile examples.
However Cena is adamant that he is walking away for good as he no longer feels he can perform at his best and keep up with WWE's current product.
Though he will be able to focus on projects in Hollywood, Cena will still remain involved in ambassadorial capacity after penning a five-yer deal.
And Gunther believes Cena, with everything that he stands, if being sincere when he says the jorts will no longer be seen again.
He admitted: “We’ll see. I hope for him. There is a bit of a wrestler’s curse where a lot of them say they’re done and they keep returning. But just by how much I can judge his character, I would say he sticks to it.”
John Cena’s final match takes place on Saturday, 13 December, live at Saturday Night’s Main Event on WWE’s YouTube channel. His 2025 Retirement Tour has seen him appear 35 times around the world - fans in the UK and Ireland can catch up on the full tour so far on Netflix.