John Cena Responds to Rumors He'll Open WWE's SNME Ahead of Retirement Match

John Cena put an end to the rumors and speculation Friday, stating that his retirement match against Gunther will go on last at Saturday Night's Main Event.

During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, Cena responded to recent talk that his match against Gunther would open the show, saying, "I was on Jimmy Kimmel and I said I'm ending the show. I said I normally go to bed early, but I'm gonna have to stay up late for this one. I guess people didn't read between the tea leaves. Like, we're last."

F4WOnline's Bryan Alvarez (h/t Steve Carrier) reported this week that Cena vs. Gunther was going to be the opening match on the Saturday Night's Main Event card in Washington, D.C.

However, as Cena pointed out Friday, he was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live last week, and Kimmel jokingly asked him if his decision to have WWE vs. NXT matches on the SNME undercard was done so he could leave early (beginning at the 7-minute mark):

"Normally I go to bed early, but I think I'm probably gonna end this one, so I'll probably be last," Cena said.

Despite Cena's fairly clear declaration, something must have gotten lost in translation, as rumors regarding Cena being the opener on Saturday made the rounds on social media this week.

Cena poked fun at the situation during his conversation with McAfee, saying, "I don't know how the rumor started. I think some folks with credibility like to kick a hornet's nest every once in a while and get people chattering. I understand we're in the age of information, so it's gonna keep my attention. 'You're not last?' Sure, that'll keep my attention for a few hot clicks. I don't even know how that started. It's difficult to conceptualize that."

The 17-time world champion has spent the entirety of 2025 on his retirement tour, and it will all come to an end Saturday night when he locks horns with Gunther for the first time ever in a one-on-one match.

Gunther won the 16-man Last Time Is Now tournament to earn the right to face Cena in his last match, and he has made it his stated goal to force Cena to submit.

That is something Cena hasn't done in over 20 years, so it adds another layer of intrigue to what will be the main event of Saturday Night's Main Event on Peacock.