Just days before John Cena’s final in-ring appearance at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event, the planned match order has already changed.
Earlier reports from Bryan Alvarez of F4WOnline claimed that Cena vs. Gunther would open the December 13 edition of SNME, with Cena being given “as much time as he wants.” The update made headlines, especially since this episode airs exclusively on Peacock, freeing WWE from NBC’s usual hard time constraints.
“Cena vs. Gunther is scheduled to open SNME,” Alvarez previously wrote. “There is no set runtime for this latest edition… so everyone will get all the time they need.”
However, that report now appears to be inaccurate. In a new update posted on December 11, 2025, Andrew Baydala disputed those claims, stating he had inside knowledge that Cena’s farewell bout would not be kicking off the show.
“I’ve seen the ‘reports’ and I understand they are given what they are given but… I can tell you that as of today, and things change rapidly. John Cena’s last match will NOT open #SNME.”
With plans still evolving in real time, it’s unclear where on the card Cena vs. Gunther will ultimately land. WWE could still book a dramatic farewell speech to close the show or use the match to spike early interest before transitioning into the rest of the lineup. Either way, the layout is far from locked.
The rest of the card includes WWE Champion Cody Rhodes facing Oba Femi in a non-title clash, Bayley taking on Sol Ruca, and AJ Styles & Dragon Lee facing Je’Von Evans and Leon Slater in tag action. But all eyes remain on where—and how—John Cena will say goodbye.
Does Cena deserve to close out the show, or should WWE let him open strong and leave the spotlight for new stars? Share your thoughts below.
December 11, 2025 2:58 pm
