Why WWE Finally Gets Right With John Cena’s Presumed Retirement Match Opponent

John Cena will compete in the final match of his WWE career on December 13 as part of Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington DC. This is what we know.

Before that, there were many questions about who he would face and what it would mean for this superstar and his future.

We now seem to have the answer.

Dave Meltzer of F4WOnline.com reported that former world heavyweight champion Gunther will be the final opponent at The Unseen 17. The insider added that a tournament will take place, with the winner receiving the honor of facing Cena in this historic match.

Considering everything WWE did in Cena’s retirement tour, it’s almost surprising that his final opponent was so right. Gunther has become WWE’s Darth Vader, the big bad that every babyface must fight and, most of the time, lose.

He’s a towering figure who has already ruined a generation’s childhood by taking out Goldberg, ended Jey Uso’s world title reign, and defeated every top opponent that crossed his path.

The Austrian is a wrestler’s wrestler, a heel like you don’t see anymore. He claims to be a general of the ring, the protector of the sanctity of professional wrestling, and he backs it up.

Gunther doesn’t need 12 different wrestlers to step in for him, nor does he need a manager to speak on his behalf. He behaves with dignity, speaks elegantly and beats people, his looks being his greatest asset.

More importantly, he is a superstar within WWE who can benefit from the attention the match presents.

Fans who have watched the company’s prime-time specials have already seen it. He retained the world title and took out one of the greats in the Monday Night Wars.

However, Cena is on a whole other level. He’s a pop culture star, a man who transcended professional wrestling and became an attraction in Hollywood. He is in film, on television and works in front of and behind the cameras for commercials.

People know who he is beyond the realm of sports entertainment, and sharing the ring with him will mean something to those who may not know much about Gunther.

If he can defeat Cena and become a fan favorite in retirement, that will be even better.

What better way to announce to the world that The Ring General is not only a star of today, but also the badass who ended the careers of two icons? It would mean even more if this served as a starting point for a storyline for Gunther.

Perhaps a sign of respect from Cena kicks off the gradual babyface turn that sees Gunther square off against Seth Rollins and The Vision on Raw. Or maybe it puts him on a collision course with Cody Rhodes.

Either way, there’s a wealth of potential for the 38-year-old coming off his match against Cena, if that’s the direction things take.

And fans should be excited about the possibility of a relatively new face getting the opportunity to battle the biggest star of the last two decades on a stage as big as Saturday Night’s Main Event.