John Cena’s final match happens tonight and Brit fans can watch it free
Gunther faces the wrestler-turned-movie star in the era-ending match and speaking exclusively to The Mirror he’s warned fans they shouldn’t expect a Hollywood style finale
Wrestler-turned-box office star John Cena will step foot in the ring for the last time tonight in an era-ending last match and the man who’s facing him has warned him not to expect a Hollywood-style finale. British fans can watch the bout from 1am UK time completely free with WWE streaming Saturday Night’s Main Event live for British viewers on YouTube.
After a retirement tour that at times has felt as lengthy as the notoriously busy Rolling Stones (and included a thankfully brief but ill-advised turn to the Dark Side for the normally notorious goodie Cena), tonight will mark the end of an era that transformed wrestling – and sold millions of brightly coloured cheery t-shirts along the way. Cena, now 48, retires as a 17-time world champion giving him officially more title reigns than anyone else in WWE history and cementing his place as one of the greatest of all time as he turns his attention full-time into his blockbuster acting career and a starring role in DC Comics’ universe as Peacemaker.
The man chosen to see Cena off on his way is 38-year-old Austrian wrestler Gunther, real name Walter Hahn, who has emerged victorious after a month-long big-name tournament of WWE’s current great and good. Speaking exclusively to The Mirror ahead of the fight, Gunther described the bout as the ‘ultimate passing of the torch match,’ although he also issued a warning that it could end in ‘heartbreak.’
He also addressed the difference between the stars – with Cena renowned for crowd-pleasing razzmatazz compared to Gunther’s highly technical, more serious style. Gunther explains: “John Cena changed the business and stands for a certain generation in WWE but I stand for the complete opposite and I’m still in WWE and one of the main guys. So this is like John Cena versus what WWE is going forward. It’s a very interesting scenario.”
No stranger to records himself in WWE, Gunther has previously held the Intercontinental Championship for a record 666 days. He has been such a dominant competitor since joining the WWE that it’s rare to see him without a title round his waist, which is why many see him as the perfect candidate for Cena’s curtain call.
The Austrian’s reputation as a submission specialist has seen speculation that Cena’s last match might end in a tap out, which would be just the fifth in the legend’s 23-year career. It’s a possibility that Gunther relishes: “It’s a great chance for me to spoil a party that everybody’s looking forward to. If it goes the way I want it to go, then it’s going to be a big heartbreak and that’s what I’m aiming for. I’m not here to join in the fanfare. I’m there to do the opposite and I’m looking forward to it. I enjoy antagonising people.”
Gunther is an old-school style wrestler who has clearly garnered respect from plenty of old timers – in the recent reality show WWE LFG aimed at finding new wrestling talent The Undertaker was seen to be a fan. After tonight Gunther will have retired two big names having taken out Goldberg earlier this year and he’s more than happy to keep on going: “We are in a very interesting time in WWE now where a lot of these superstars from years back are still around. And they’re still healthy and can still go and that’s definitely a very special situation because that gives people like me the chance to get in the ring with them.“
I ask him if there’s anyone specific he’s got in mind and, while his response is very on message – “I’m very focused on Saturday for now” – when I throw out the name of recently returned controversial wrestler Brock Lesnar who has a similar heavy-handed style, Gunther’s eyes light up.
“I’d definitely be up for that. I feel like he was the Darth Vader in WWE for a long time and at some point you need a new one… That’s what I’m striving for.”
Fans can see tonight whether he’ll end up being the supervillain when John Cena’s final match takes place at Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington DC. The event will be available to watch for free on WWE’s YouTube channel from 1am Sunday morning UK time.
Meanwhile, Gunther returns to Europe this January during the ‘Road to Royal Rumble’ tour, with tickets available now via Ticketmaster for venues including London, Nottingham, Glasgow and Newcastle.
See WWE Raw and SmackDown live in the UK
WWE is back in the UK from January for the Road to Rumble tour heading to venues up and down the country.
Saturday Night’s Main Event aside, the usual UK home for all WWE programming is on Netflix. The streaming giant signed a ten-year, $5 billion (£4.09 billion) deal with the brand earlier this year that has bought WWE back into the mainstream
Fans in the UK can now watch all weekly episodes of Raw, SmackDown and NXT live or on demand as well as more than 30 years of archived content and every new premium live event including WrestleMania, all within the cost of their existing Netflix subscription. Sky customers can also get access free as part of many packages and even select their favourite wrestler as their Netflix profile avatar.
