Backstage WWE and AEW Rumors on John Cena vs. Gunther, LA Knight and More
John Cena will wrestle his final match Saturday night when he squares off with Gunther in a contest that remains the topic of discussion and headlines this collection of wrestling rumors and backstage reports.
Joining that historic bout is the latest on LA Knight, a potential breakout year incoming for a former NXT talent, and the return of a Hall of Famer in time for Saturday Night's Main Event.
John Cena's Last Match Placement on SNME
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Bryan Alvarez reported on the subscribers-only portion of his X account that John Cena vs. Gunther will open Saturday Night's Main Event in Washington D.C.
"Cena will get as much time as he wants," Alvarez's sources told him. He added that "everyone will get all the time they need."
It makes sense WWE would kick off the show with its biggest match, capturing as many viewers and holding their attention for as long as it can with the marquee bout of the evening.
Cena's retirement match is the big draw and, rather than risking an audience that tunes out while waiting for it, the show will feature its star right out of the gate.
The decision also allows the clash with Gunther to get as much time as it needs to tell the story it is setting out to.
The NXT-main roster crossover matches will be important but Cena vs. Gunther is the draw of the broadcast and should be allowed as much time as needed to give Cena the sendoff he has earned.
LA Knight Update
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Monday's Raw went off the air with LA Knight on the receiving end of a Tsunami on top of a car, giving viewers flashbacks of Bronson Reed's treatment of Ricochet and what that meant for The One and Only's time with WWE.
Fans speculated Knight's tenure with the company could also be up, but Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select provided an update to the contrary.
"Knight is not leaving WWE," he wrote. "He re-signed with WWE in 2024, and has years left on his deal. When we reached out to people in the company, they were confused at the outrage of the situation, and said it was a standard story beat that will be revisited."
He added: "There were also unusual conspiracy theories regarding LA Knight holding up a 'We want LA Knight, not Jey Uso' sign over a month ago and being punished for that. It was repeatedly claimed to Fightful that wasn't the case, with one source in creative saying that being booked to beat Jey Uso would be a 'weird punishment.'"
Knight was featured prominently on Monday, used across multiple segments before the show-closing angle. That is not the sort of creative treatment typically reserved for Superstars on their way out or in some sort of trouble behind the scenes.
The Megastar has been the victim of stop-start pushes before, and while it is not out of the realm of possibility that will be the case again, Monday's creative felt like the start of a substantive push for the uber-popular babyface.
WWE Officials Impressed With Lash Legend
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BodySlam+ reported WWE officials have been impressed with Lash Legend, in particular her performance in the women's WarGames match at Survivor Series.
The report noted her partnership with Nia Jax is meant to "get her up to speed with main roster talents as quick as possible" and that a breakout 2026 is possible.
Legend impressed during her time in NXT but struggled to find consistent in-ring opportunities to improve her timing and work on situational awareness and chemistry, all things that come with getting reps on TV.
The more appearances the 28-year-old gets under her belt, and the more ring time she receives, the greater the chance of that breakout and future superstardom for the former WNBA star.
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Jesse Ventura Returning for Cena's Final Match
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Jesse "The Body" Ventura was conspicuous by his absence at the last Saturday Night's Main Event broadcast, but WrestleVotes reported the voice of the iconic NBC prime-time special will return this weekend for John Cena's final match.
Long the voice of the program during its initial run in the 1980s, when Cena would have watched as a kid, it is appropriate that the 2004 Hall of Famer would be back in the fold for his final match.
It remains to be seen if Ventura will be back behind the commentator's desk for the match considering his performance during the Drew McIntyre-Damian Priest contest on the May 24 show, but any appearance from one of the most charismatic performers in WWE history is welcome.
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