“Tonight, professional wrestling destroyed sports entertainment”. That one quote from lead WWE announcer Michael Cole was deliberate and final. The play-by-play man was putting a bow on the scene as a smiling John Cena watched his career end at the hands of a pro wrestling terminator. Gunther choked the life out of 'Super Cena' until he had no choice but to tap out, and Cole's words hammered home the significance. It felt like WWE's way of saying the era and majesty of Vince McMahon-led Hulkamania of the 80s, 'Stone Cold' attitude of the 90s and Cena dominance of the 2000s-2010s was over. Is that strictly true? Well, yes in terms of John retiring, but no in terms of the company kissing goodbye to McMahon's sports entertainment formula forever. Saturday was an emotional night. Fans in Washington were really only there for one match, but Cena's retirement bash shone a spotlight on rising NXT stars like Oba Femi, Je'Von Evans and Sol Ruca. Then, by the end, it was Gunther who looked like an animal capable of taking down any beast. Keep a close eye on that wording, because it's important!
Published: December 14, 2025 1:59 pm
Source: WhatCulture.com — Read original