Recaps
John Cena Loses to Gunther in Final WWE Match of Historic In-Ring Career on ‘Saturday Night’s Main Event’
The last time is gone. John Cena’s high-profile, beloved and exceptional career as an in-ring WWE superstar came to an end when he tapped out to Gunther in his final match. It was a historic moment in pro wrestling history streaming on WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event on Peacock on December 13.
Cena ended his year-long retirement tour in front of a sold-out crowd of 19,232 at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. Try as he might, and after making several comebacks in the match, including one final Attitude Adjustment, Gunther was relentless in applying sleeper hold after sleeper hold until John finally gave up and tapped out. When Cena “gave up” it was the first time in 20-years he quit a match via submission.
After the match, the crowd was not happy with the outcome, or on social media for the most part, with audible choruses of “boos” and bulls-t” chants for WWE’s Chief Content Officer, Paul “Triple H” Levesque, as he made his way to ringside to tell John to watch the videoclip package they were about to play. Surrounded by the current roster of WWE superstars and notables from the past, who were around the outside of the ring, Cena took in the moment.
Photo: WWE
That package, featured John’s mother and father, among others, and was a retrospective of his life and love of pro wrestling from a little kid until now, which brought everyone to tears. Next, in the most hankie-inducing moment post-match, Cena took off his sneakers and wrist bands and left them in the center of the ring, which is tradition when a wrestler retires and has wrestled their final match.
As a show of their appreciation, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes also gave John their current WWE championship belts to wear and show off in the ring as he took his final bows. Later, Cena took one last look as he made his way to the entrance of the ring ramp. He turned to the audience behind him in the stands – then turned back around – with this final message to the WWE Universe along with his signature salute. “It’s been a pleasure serving you all these years, thank you,” the 17-time champion said as he left for the backstage area to recover from the match.
Photo: WWE
During the WWE SNME post-show on You Tube, Triple H was boo’d once again by the fans outside of Capital One Arena, for allowing their hero to retire with a loss. “The Game” explained, “John has said the right thing his entire career, that it is about leaving this place better than you found it. There’s no way for people to understand that in the moment. But you do what is right for the business. You do what is right for this industry.”
The theory here is that the choice of Gunther to defeat Cena, only elevates “The Ring General,” who was already a top-tier talent, but now he is a “legend killer” after defeating Cena and earlier this summer, Bill Goldberg on his way out. The victory for Gunther should give him even more status within the company, but many feel he has already been a WWE champion. However, he is yet to be the WWE Undisputed Champion.
Photo: WWE
From Cena’s viewpoint; the decision for him to either orchestrate, or be OK with this final match being a loss, could be that it’s poetic justice and a full-circle moment for the “John Cena” character. Gunther just didn’t beat Cena. He did the one thing no one has been able to do in 20+years. He made him give up. Cena’s motto had always been “Never Give Up” and “Hustle,” “Loyalty,” and “Respect.” So, if you look at it that way, you could make a case for the way the GOAT’s wrestling career came to an end.
WWE superstars past and presents including: Trish Stratus, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Booker T, Haku, Michelle McCool, Eve Torres, Rob Van Dam and Mark Henry, Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens were on-hand at ringside, and Cena made sure to hug and shake their hands before his match with Gunther even started.
There has been no one in the history of professional wrestling like John Cena, who is beloved by children and fans around the world, and let us not forget John has granted the most wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation with over 650 which was showcased on the Saturday Night’s Main Event pre-show and throughout the past week, also reducing everyone to tears.
The GOAT made it clear: thon this, his final night of in-ring action, that he wanted to give the “up and comers” a shot, just like he was given when he debuted his “ruthless aggression”against Kurt Angle back on June 27, 2002. So, on the card were three other matches featuring NXT rising stars against several WWE superstars.
Saturday Night’s Main Event – Other Match Results:
WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes vs. NXT Champion Oba Femi– Match ended by a DQ – In the middle of the match, out of nowhere came Drew McIntyre attacking Rhodes. The referee called for the bell.
Photo: WWE
Sol Ruca defeated Bayley – Excellent match. Ruca hit her now patented “Sol Snatcher” but somehow Bayley countered with a roll-up, but Ruca was able to counter-the-counter and pin Bayley.
WWE Tag Team Champions AJ Styles and Dragon Lee defeated Leon Slater and Je’Von Evans – This lived up to the high-flying hype. The 21-year-olds, Slater and Evans, athleticism is off the charts, and so too has Styles been for decades and let’s not forget about Luchador, Dragon Lee. At one point, Styles went for a Phenomenal Forearm, but seemed to slip off the ropes. In a quick-thinking moment, Slater jumped on Styles for a pin to distract from the mistake. Styles kicked out and somehow was able to counter Evans flying from the top rope into his patented Styles Clash for the victory.
So, what did you think about John Cena’s final match? Were you OK with the ending where he taps out to Gunther, or would you have like to have seen the 17-time champion go out on a high note with a win and so the crowd in attendance, and at home, left the show in a feel-good moment? Share your thoughts and theories via the comment section below.
First, check out some of the highlights from Cena vs. Gunther below, followed by an emotional Cody Rhodes taking in the moment in the post-show that the GOAT left his sneakers and armbands in the ring as is tradition when a wrestler retires and how he was overcome.
John Cena taps out on his pro wrestling career. I followed it all and wasn’t his biggest fan but much respect. And thank you Cena!
General Hospital
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ric’s History of Jealousy Where Elizabeth is Concerned Has Come Back Around
On General Hospital, Ric Lansing (Rick Heart) is about to fall back into dangerous old patterns by the foreshadowing during the Wednesday, August 19 episode. After first coming to see his brother, Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and telling him of his plan to propose to Elizabeth Webber (Rebecca Herbst) his longtime love tonight, Sonny has concerned.
Next, Sonny reminds his brother of what has happened in the past, when things have gone south with Elizabeth and wonders if it’s too soon for him to propose to her. What Ric did not tell Sonny is that he has seen the developing closeness between Sonny’s son, Dante (Dominic Zamprogna) and Elizabeth, which is propelling his urgent need to propose.
Meanwhile, Dante ran into Elizabeth at the park during a break from their mutual team softball games. She needs help with a bookcase after the game at her house. Dante wants to put it together for her. Later, Dante arrived at Elizabeth’s house, limping after injuring his knee during the game. Head nurse Liz wanted to check out the injury as much as Dante protested, which required him to take off his pants.
Courtesy/ABC
RIC BEGINS TO UNRAVEL
Outside Elizabeth’s widow, Ric arrives with a bouquet of roses and the engagement ring. When he leers through the widow he is shocked to see Elizabeth rubbing Dante’s leg while Dante is in his boxer/shorts. He storm troops into the house, demanding to know what is going on here? Both Elizabeth and Dante look surprised by his reaction. In the pick-up of today’s Thursday, August 20 episode (see GH video teaser below), viewers will learn the upshot for all three characters.
A VENGEFUL PAST
As longtime GH fans know, Ric has done some horrible, vengeful things in regards to Elizabeth starting back in 2003 after she lost her baby after Ric’s ex, Faith Rosco pushed her down a flight of stairs. Ric accused Sonny for the accident and to get revenge, Ric kidnapped Carly (who was married to Sonny at the time), and stashed her in a panic room below the house where he was living with Liz.
On top of that, Ric fed his wife Elizabeth birth control pills to keep her from getting pregnant so that they could raise Carly’s baby together after it was born. Eventually, Elizabeth found Carly in the panic room but ended up having a pulmonary embolism. When she woke up in the hospital, Elizabeth was all confused by what happened, and Ric convinced her that her vision of Carly was just a bad dream. Eventually, Elizabeth learned the horrifying truth and divorced Ric.
Years later, Ric noticed the connection between Elizabeth and “Jake Doe” who eventually turned out to be Drew (Billy Miller) A jealous Ric hired Hayden Barnes to show up and claim to be “Jake’s” wife. Elizabeth stepped aside, and when Ric planned to propose to Elizabeth at the 2015 Nurses Ball, Carly exposed his manipulations, and Elizabeth dumped him yet again. And those are just two examples of the lengths Ric will go to for Elizabeth!
So, we ask you, given the history of Elizabeth and Ric, how do you see this playing out with Dante in the picture? How will Ric derail their growing bond? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.
Recaps
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy and Carter Get Lame Excuses From Their Spouses, and Try to Shake Off Their Night Together
If you caught the Wednesday, August 19 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, and if you were Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor), and your wife, who literally took off, threw of her wedding ring and abandoned their marriage to head to Paris, shows back up saying she overreacted and wants to be with him, would you bother to even take her back?
As for Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood), now that Finn (Tanner Novlan) is giving her the spiel about how he took her for granted, how he is so sorry for not listening to her, and that Sheila will never be in their lives again, would you want to listen to that, either, after so many broken promises?
That’s the situation hungover Steffy and Carter found themselves, while still reeling from the seeming fact that they had sex the night before while drunk in the Forrester Creations CEO office.
Courtesy/CBS
STEFFY AND CARTER GETS EARFULS
Daphne (Murielle Hilare) doesn’t understand why Carter is being so distant, and he says, “You said I wasn’t family.” She wants to put all of what she said and did behind them and now explore other ways to have a child. Carter seems hurt and annoyed.
Back at the cliff house, Steffy is so upset between sleeping with Carter and getting drunk, and Finn and his mother, Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) in Monaco. She tells Finn, “I need you to stand up for me. I can’t live like this. I won’t.” Finn begs her not to let “one terrible mistake” (get it!?) tear us apart.
Finn promised Steffy he will get a restraining order on Sheila if it calls for it. He understands why Steffy is so scared of Sheila after she shot her … and him. In the closing moments of the episode, Finn pronounces how lucky he is to have the “perfect wife.” To which a rattled Steffy in tears goes, “Oh, I’m not perfect.”
Photo: JPI
STEFFY’S GUILT
Steffy is losing her grip at this moment as Finn says he wants to step up and be the husband he deserves. Along with Daphne, I kind of want to kick Finn to the curb, too. Then Finn lays it on real thick and adds, “You’re pure, you’re honest, you’re loyal.” Steffy interrupts, “Not quite.”
Suddenly a guilt-ridden Steffy says to Finn, “There’s something I need to tell you.” Can she actually get the words out about getting drunk and having sex with Carter …or, will she keep it under wraps so we can have months of the line “one terrible mistake?”
Take a look at some of the scenes between Steffy and Finn from today’s episode below.
Now let us know: would you bother to take back Daphne or Finn, if you were Carter and Steffy? Would you like to see Steffy just blurt out she had sex with Carter to her husband? Weigh-in via the comment section.
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On the Tuesday, August 18 episode of The Bold and the Beautiful, viewers were tuned-in to see if Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) and Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor), who were were both on benders, wound up having sex in the Forrester Creations CEO office.
As the Monday, August 17 episode concluded, Carter and Steffy shared a close moment where it looked like they would kiss. Now in the pick up which starts the morning after, Steffy awakens from the couch in the office, and realizes she has no clothes on and is mortified to see Carter on the end of the couch also naked and under blankets.
In that moment, Steffy realizes they had sex, and begins to unravel to Carter as she scrambles to get dressed: “We shouldn’t have done this. Oh my God, I shouldn’t have done this!”
Photo: JPI
STEFFY RACES TO GET HOME
Steffy’s panic of the situation escalates when she finds her phone, and sees multiple text messages from her husband, Finn (Tanner Novlan), desperately trying to reach her. He told Steffy he was on his way home from Monaco.
Suddenly, a hungover Carter speaks up and agrees. He says to Steffy they made a terrible mistake and wanted to talk about it, but Steffy kiboshed any discussion, not dealing with Carter, and racing home to be with her kids and Finn. As a disheveled Steffy ran out of Forrester, Carter stayed behind to straighten up the office and get rid of any remnants of their drunken binge.
Just then, Daphne (Murielle Hilaire) showed up as Carter is shocked. She apologized for running out on him, and details how when she got to the airport to board the plane to Paris, she realized she couldn’t leave him. She loved him too much, and asks him to please forgive her and her, “terrible mistake.” Daphne hugs Carter and he looks like a man who has no idea what to do or make of this entire situation in the moment.
Photo: JPI
WHAT WILL BE THE REPERCUSSIONS OF CARTER AND STEFFY’S DRUNKEN NIGHT TOGETHER?
Cut to: Steffy comes home and runs into her mother, Taylor (Rebecca Budig). She explains what happened with Finn and Sheila (Kimberlin Brown) in Monaco. Next, Steffy details how she took off her wedding ring after Taylor noticed it was no longer on her finger. Just then, Finn arrives. Taylor leaves the two to talk. Finn begs for Steffy’s forgiveness and the episode comes to an end with Steffy facing away from Finn and towards the camera, trying to figure out what to do next. Take him back?
Now the real story begins: it would appear that the intent was to have Carter and Steffy face long-lasting consequences of their drunken night together. So that, Steffy would become pregnant with Carter’s child, which would cause the ripple effect in Carter’s marriage to Daphne, who is unable to carry a child.
One other theory, unless, Carter and Steffy believe they had sex, but they passed out in compromising positions but nothing ever happened? Perhaps one of them, or both will have flashbacks of them carrying on together on the couch? Were they set up? Stay tuned.
So, we ask you. What happens from here? Steffy gets pregnant with Carter’s child? Does Steffy goes back to Finn? Carter goes back with Daphne? They really never had drunken sex? Weigh-in via the comment section. But first, take a look below, and a bit of what went down when Steffy and Carter realize what happened between them.
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GENERAL HOSPITAL: Ric’s History of Jealousy Where Elizabeth is Concerned Has Come Back Around
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL: Steffy and Carter Get Lame Excuses From Their Spouses, and Try to Shake Off Their Night Together
‘Veronica & Julian’ Feature Starring ‘Days of Our Lives’ Alums Nadia Bjorlin and Kyler Pettis Releases Key Art and More (Exclusive)
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