Chael Sonnen didn’t hold back when discussing John Cena’s final WWE match, delivering a critique of how the wrestling legend ended his storied career. Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, the former UFC star argued that Cena was manipulated into making a critical mistake that resulted in him “losing twice” in one match.
Sonnen’s main grievance centers on Cena tapping out to Gunther’s submission hold before also appearing to pass out. “John Cena not being a bada*s does not understand the difference” between different types of submissions, Sonnen explained.
He suggested that Cena’s lack of legitimate martial arts background left him vulnerable to bad advice. “He then fell asleep. They not only got him to tap and quit, he then fell asleep.”
The controversy lies in what Sonnen sees as an impossibility: “You cannot tap and not have consciousness. It’s a double loss. From a wrestling standpoint, it’s being pinned while being technical falled.” Sonnen believes that whoever convinced Cena to structure the finish this way “is not his friend” and actually “stabbed him in the back twice.”
Sonnen’s criticism extends beyond just the finish itself. He took issue with the entire premise of Cena losing on what was billed as his final match, especially in an era where WWE has moved away from traditional wrestling conventions.
“This is the one sports entity where you can actually give people the happy ending,” Sonnen argued, questioning why Cena couldn’t go out victorious like Stone Cold Steve Austin did against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania.
The former UFC star pointed out that Cena’s motto has always been “never give up,” making the decision to tap out particularly puzzling. “Why does he have to give up?” Sonnen asked rhetorically, noting that unlike legitimate combat sports where outcomes can’t be predetermined, wrestling could have given fans the satisfying conclusion they wanted.
Sonnen also dismissed the argument that this was a “time-honored tradition” of veterans putting over younger talent. While acknowledging such traditions exist, he noted they were historically reserved for specific circumstances, not main events featuring the biggest stars.
When pressed by Helwani on how he would have booked the match, Sonnen said he would have let Cena win, citing the Austin-Owens match as precedent.
“It didn’t hurt Owens a bit. As a matter of fact, it helped him,” Sonnen noted, arguing that losing to a legend on their way out can actually elevate the younger competitor.
Sonnen also suggested that “somebody, a real bada*s, somebody that actually understands mixed martial arts convinced him to do it. That dude is a scumbag.” He believes someone in WWE’s backstage area with legitimate combat knowledge took advantage of Cena’s lack of understanding about submissions and combat sports to set him up for embarrassment.
