Gunther scored the biggest win of his career at Saturday Night’s Main Event, making John Cena — the man who never gives up — tap out in Cena’s final match.
Many have compared it to Brock Lesnar ending The Undertaker’s undefeated WrestleMania streak, with Gunther now holding a distinction that could cement him as a monster, if he’s booked properly.
The keyword there is “if.”
Days after “The Ring General’s” shocking victory, WWE’s YouTube channel spotlighted him — not with one of his most brutal wins,
but with his crushing loss to CM Punk at SummerSlam, where Gunther was bloodied and beaten for the World Heavyweight Championship.
If WWE were building toward a rematch, the timing would have been perfect. Punk — a friend of Cena — could have reminded fans how he broke Gunther down while vowing to do it again in honor of the fallen icon. Gunther, in turn, could have shrugged it off, warning that the man Punk faced at SummerSlam isn’t the same man he is today.
That would have been great fight promotion. The problem is that neither wrestler is in the other’s immediate orbit. Punk will defend his title on Jan. 5 on Raw against Bron Breakker. Meanwhile, Gunther seems headed for a showdown with AJ Styles after their recent interaction on Raw this past Monday.
While the two may meet in the future, WWE’s decision to highlight one of Gunther’s few losses so soon after a monumental victory is baffling. Logic would dictate it would try to minimize reminders of Gunther’s setbacks in 2025, especially since he’s still haunted by his worst loss of the year.
Despite making Cena tap out, fans at Raw in Pennsylvania Monday were quick to remind Gunther that he also tapped out at WrestleMania against Jey Uso.
While Gunther did celebrate his victory by saying he made Cena tap out “like a little bitch,” WWE missed an opportunity to flip the script. He could have told the crowd:
“You’re right. I did tap out. I tapped out John Cena, the man who never gives up!”
Certainly, fans who saw Gunther fall not once but twice in 2025 won’t forget his losses. But WWE can help fans move past those defeats if it presents Gunther the right way. Calling attention to one of his worst losses immediately after beating the 17-time world champion isn’t the way to do it.
Gunther’s win over Cena was historic. Handled correctly, he could dominate 2026 — but WWE needs to build on Cena’s gift, not remind fans of what Gunther couldn’t achieve in the past.
