Jeff Jarrett: John Cena vs. Gunther was the ‘dumbest finish’ in wrestling history
Jeff Jarrett says the finish to John Cena vs. Gunther at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event was the “single dumbest finish” in wrestling history.
After being critical of what happened on social media Saturday night, Jarrett gave a deeper dive into his dislike for how the match ended on his My World podcast. The episode was titled “Worst. Finish. Ever.”
Jarrett said on the show:
“My family’s been in the business since 1946. I’ve got three generations of stories, not just from a wrestler’s point of view, but from a business point of view over and over and over. This mythical, time-honored tradition – that is the biggest bunch of bulls–t I’ve ever heard.”
Later in the show, Jarrett said Cena tapping out to Gunther was the “single dumbest finish” in the history of wrestling and called arguments that WWE needed to get heat on Gunther “ridiculous.”
Jarrett continued:
“Why do I think it was the single dumbest finish? Because I think it is a direct slap in the face of the face of our industry. ‘Never Give Up.’ Do you know how impactful it is if I’m in a room full of bankers or TV executives or friends or whoever it may be, and I can look them in the face and say do you know who holds the record for the most Make-A-Wish visits in the history of that organization? It’s a professional wrestler. Yes, it’s John Cena.“
“His whole mantra, hustle, loyalty, respect. Never give up. And you’re going to give this bulls–t that we got to get heat on a heel in a time-honored tradition? It’s the silliest, most ridiculous argument that people are throwing up.”
Conrad Thompson and Jarrett also addressed comparisons between Cena vs. Gunther and Ric Flair’s retirement matches, including Flair being retired by Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24. Thompson noted that when Flair lost to Michaels, the stipulation was that Flair would retire only if he lost. By contrast, at Ric Flair’s Last Match, it was advertised as Flair’s final match regardless of whether he won or lost.
Thompson said, “We knew what people wanted to see. They wanted to see Ric Flair win one last time, and they got to see that, sort of. But either way, he did win, by God.”
Jarrett’s full podcast is available below. The main portion of his discussion about Cena vs. Gunther begins around the 1-hour and 4-minute mark.
Ian Carey is a writer from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, whose work has been featured in NOW Magazine, The Huffington Post, and more. A lifelong wrestling aficionado born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, he has covered the industry for a decade and a half. He joined the f4wonline.com team in 2019.