John Cena Responds To Father’s Disapproval Of Gunther As Final Opponent

John Cena's farewell tour has left all wrestling fans in disbelief all year long.
Even Cena's own father, John Cena Sr., can't believe how the farewell tour could end. Cena Sr. appeared on the All Axxess podcast last week to discuss the possibility of Gunther facing his son at Saturday Night's Main Event.
Cena Sr. was not very supportive of Gunther being the man to retire his son, and not only expressed his displeasure over it, but also over the concept of having to lose on your way out. John Cena sat down with Joe Rogan for the Joe Rogan Experience podcast to give a response to his father's comments.
What did Cena Sr. say?
John Cena Sr. has a history in the wrestling business. Cena Sr. is a former wrestling commentator, promoter, and owner. Cena Sr. commented for Chaotic Wrestling, a promotion that is still active today, and also had majority ownership in the Millennium Wrestling Federation in 2007.
"Well it certainly wouldn't be Gunther, that's for sure. I don't think that that's a wise move. I don't think the fans would enjoy that move. Myself, personally, Gunther does not need the rub. By the way, I'm not a fan of 'on the way out you've got to push somebody over the top. You're supposed to pass the quote unquote the torch. I don't know whether that's written anywhere in professional wrestling."Cena Sr. on All Axxess
Cena Sr. also felt his son had already "passed the torch" when Cody Rhodes beat John Cena for the WWE Undisputed Championship at SummerSlam earlier this year. Cena beat Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 to end Rhodes' year-long reign with the championship.
John Cena scoffs at fathers' comments

Cena has rarely been one to put creative in a bad position, and historically, he wrestles whoever he's booked to wrestle and tries to make the best of it. With that in mind, it's no surprise Cena responded the way he did toward the comments his father made.
"Man, there's some shit he'll say that is all f***** up. He said some shit yesterday, 'I don't think John's last opponent...' and people listen to him because he's a wrestling fan and is in the weird subculture zeitgeist. I want to call my dad and be like, 'What the f*** are you doing?'. He's doing what he does. This is the John Cena that I love."John Cena's response to Cena Sr.
Cena disagreed with the analysis Cena Sr. provided regarding the finals of the Last Time Is Now Tournament, and questioned why Cena Sr. expressed his seemingly negative thoughts at all.
Read The Latest on WWE, AEW, & More
WWE Raw Preview (12/8/25): Start Time, Match Card, How To Watch & Live Stream
Big E Just Went All-In On Oba Femi After WWE NXT Deadline
Does John Cena Regret His Ill-Fated Heel Turn This Year?
Lilian Garcia Finds True Love Thanks To Wild World Of Pro Wrestling [Exclusive]

Aidan has been a contributor to The Takedown since July of 2025. He also currently writes for the Miami Heat & Orlando Magic on SIl. Before joining On SI, he reported for Caplin News and created content individually. He has a bachelor’s degree in Digital Media & Communications at FIU’s School of Journalism. Aidan has spent years producing pro wrestling content on social media and writing about pro sports. He’s a lifelong enthusiast of the business and continues to cover the global wrestling world with an unbiased, but passionate approach. His favorite pro wrestling memory is watching Triple H vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania 28, and legend has it he is still chanting "move the palm trees" to this day.