Ariel Helwani Criticizes WWE Booking of John Cena’s Final Match – Ariel Helwani has voiced strong criticism of how WWE handled John Cena’s final match and the overall booking of the final year of Cena’s in-ring career. Speaking at length on The Ariel Helwani Show, Helwani rejected the idea that Cena needed to lose on his way out as part of a so-called wrestling tradition, calling that mindset outdated and disconnected from the modern product.
Helwani said he repeatedly heard arguments that Cena wanted to lose as a way of giving back to the business, but he strongly disagreed with that reasoning.
“The fan boys will be like ‘No, this is what you have to do, this is what John wanted, this is exactly what he wanted, he wanted to give back to the business.’ And to that I say BS. I say hogwash to that. I say that’s nonsense because that is an ideology from a business that no longer exists. That’s 1970s, 1980s wrestling.”
Helwani argued that the current WWE environment no longer operates under those old rules.
“That’s not WWE Unreal territory, that’s not the era that we’re living in now.”
He also took issue with the pattern of losses Cena suffered in the months leading up to his retirement match, questioning who benefited from seeing one of WWE’s most iconic stars repeatedly beaten.
“Who wanted to see John Cena lose time and again in the last few months? Got his ass whooped by Brock Lesnar, lost to Dominik Mysterio, loses to Gunther. And not only does he lose in his retirement match, the guy who told us for 20+ years never to give up, not only does he lose, he loses via submission.”
Helwani made it clear that he does not believe this outcome reflected what fans wanted.
“No, I reject this. This is not what those people wanted. This is not what anyone who was a fan of his wanted.”
He suggested an alternative scenario that, in his view, would have better honored Cena’s legacy. Helwani said Cena should have won his final match, followed by a post-match attack from Gunther that would have drawn out several of Cena’s allies, including Cody Rhodes, to make the save.
“The match should have never been Cena vs. Gunther to begin with, and the result should have never been Cena losing, and it sure as hell never should have been him tapping.”
The official X account for The Ariel Helwani Show later shared a clip of the segment, stating that Cena deserved a stronger farewell and that the ending felt like a missed opportunity. Helwani echoed that sentiment, saying the farewell tour had significant potential but ultimately left fans wanting more.
As debate continues over Cena’s retirement, Helwani’s comments add to growing discussion among fans and media about whether WWE struck the right balance between tradition and modern storytelling. WrestlingAttitude.Com will continue to follow reactions surrounding John Cena’s final chapter in WWE.
Ariel Helwani Criticizes WWE Booking of John Cena’s Final Match
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