It was a much more exciting time on Saturday Night’s Main Event as this was the night of John Cena’s Last Match. This entire show was booked around exciting match-ups featuring up-and-coming talent, and it delivered in the short two-hour timeframe it had. There was even a small surprise in the middle of the show that wasn’t advertised. So let’s get into the show and what made it special!
NXT Champion Oba Femi vs. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes
I’m a huge Oba Femi fan. He’s a guy who looks ready to go every time he hits the ring. I’ve thought he’s been prepared for a main roster call-up for quite a while at this point. He proved it even more during his match with Cody Rhodes, going toe to toe with the champ and not looking at all out of place. Cody did a great job making The Ruler look like a dominant force in a fun match.
Drew McIntyre would spoil the whole thing with a beatdown of the champion to cause a DQ finish. Oba would make the save, pushing Drew down before Cody hit a Cody Cutter out of nowhere to toss him from the ring. It was the perfect ending to the match. It keeps Oba from eating a pinfall, and it keeps Cody strong by not losing to someone not even on the roster. I don’t think they could have done things much differently. It was a showcase for Oba, and we got what we needed out of it.
Sol Ruca vs. Bayley
What’s not to love about Sol Ruca? She does some of the most creative and engaging moves that I’ve ever seen, and she does it all with a smile. She made her way to the ring with Zaria, and I thought it would be the perfect time for Zaria to turn heel. That didn’t quite happen. The slow deterioration of that friendship has been a fun thread over the past few months in NXT. It seems to go back and forth. I think whatever happens between those two will happen when we least expect it.
Sol vs. Bayley was a fun match to watch. There were some stumbles here and there, especially on the cartwheel DDT that Sol was trying to perform, but I was thoroughly impressed. I think being in there with Bayley will definitely help her with the pacing of her matches. She tends to rush through everything out there. Being across the ring from one of the best veterans in the WWE locker room can only aid her in her development. Sol did pick up the massive win over Bayley with a quick roll-up, so her stock continues to rise. I’m sure she opened the eyes of a lot of fans who don’t watch NXT. I think she’ll be up on Raw or SmackDown within the next 6 months.
World Tag Team Champions AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs. Je’Von Evans and TNA’s Leon Slater
This match was everything we could have ever expected it to be. Je’Von and Leon were flying out there and really took it to the champions in the early going of the match. The veterans ended up turning things around on the kids in the end and getting the pinfall. There was a botched Phenomenal Forearm. I really think that botch might have been intentional and could kick off an AJ Styles retirement storyline. It was a good showing for Slater and Evans, who are so incredible at 21 years old. I can only imagine how far they’ll go in their careers. It’s nice to see both of them getting so many opportunities lately.
The Miz Segment
The Miz came out in a surprise segment in the gear he wore to face Cena at WrestleMania 27. He talked about how much he deserves to be on the show before being interrupted by R-Truth dressed as Cena. Truth says that Miz took someone’s opportunity to be in the Last Time is Now Tournament, and he has that ball. Miz reads the name: Joe Hendry. Joe and Truth end, leaving Miz in the middle of the ring after hitting a 5-Knuckle Shuffle as they wave their hands to Hendry’s music. It was a fun segment for three guys who all had reason to be on this show. It’s too bad this was the only genuine surprise.
John Cena vs. Gunther
It finally happened. John Cena actually tapped out to end an impressive 23-year career in WWE. It really couldn’t have happened any other way. If he had passed out, it wouldn’t have had the same impact. If he were pinned, it would have been just another match. John Cena tapping out with a smile on his face will be a memory that will last a lifetime. It was a guy peacefully letting go of something that he had been the best at for the better part of his life. He passed the torch to another guy with the same type of work ethic he had. It was John Cena’s Last Match, the end of an era that he had been the face of for longer than pretty much anyone.
Cena’s Legacy
John Cena was never my favorite wrestler, but he was always entertaining, and he always put people in the seats. He pushed WWE through a really dark time in the company’s history, and I think he’s always caught some negativity for that. John had notable feuds with Edge, Randy Orton, CM Punk, and others. He was always the guy doing the media, Make-A-Wish, and pulling double duty when there wasn’t enough star power. Cena was the guy you could always count on to deliver a good segment, even if it was poorly written or the story wasn’t very entertaining. It’s a testament to his character that so many people adore him and attribute their success to him. He’s been a class act inside and outside the ring.
I don’t think we’ll see another person transcend wrestling in quite the same way for a long time. With that said, it was time. Cena knew it, and we knew it. He gave everyone some unforgettable performances this year, but he was not the Super Cena we had come to expect over the years, so it was the perfect ending to a fantastic career. With this year-long celebration coming to a close with John Cena’s Last Match, there’s only one thing left to say… Thank you, Cena.
