John Cena gets real about WWE "wasting" top star's potential after major win

John Cena is still very much involved in WWE and the wrestling business, even after his in-ring retirement in December 2026. Speaking of his retirement, The Champ got real about the current status of Gunther, the man who defeated him via submission in his final match at Saturday Night's Main Event.John Cena gives his thoughts on Gunther's current WWE statusIn a recent appearance on Busted Open Radio, John Cena addressed the idea that Gunther might have lost momentum after Cena retired. The Never Seen 17 said the sentiment might be right, but he also made it clear he wasn't in a position to question WWE's creative process. He said, “I know there’s sentiment out there that like, ‘Man, they’re wasting GUNTHER!’ Maybe currently they are. But I don’t see the view from the penthouse. I’m not in those meetings where they’re just looking at the whiteboard, connecting the dots. Maybe they’re just cooling him off. Maybe they’re putting him away from TV. I don’t know.Furthermore, Cena added that his responsibility to elevate Gunther and do everything to get him over ended after their one-on-one clash at Saturday Night's Main Event."What I am gonna do is I’m not gonna challenge the opinion of, ‘Aye, I’m not gonna give this for this guy and you’re gonna forget him.’ This is the work that I need to do for today, and we’re gonna make him look the best we can, and I’m gonna give him as much steam as I can, and what you do with it afterwards, that ain’t my call."John Cena reveals the date of his namesake tournament coming up in WWEDuring his live appearance at the WWE Backlash 2026 Premium Live Event, John Cena announced a new-format competition called 'The John Cena Classic' that would feature exhibition matches between WWE and NXT superstars. It will also give fans a significant role in crowning a champion and be heavily involved. In the same interview appearance, Cena revealed that the competition will begin in December 2026.“Now this year in December, I’m really excited about announcing the John Cena Classic. We’re gonna do an event based off all the memory, all the nostalgia, and the IP and the core values of the character, which is me. Hustle, loyalty, respect, perseverance, virtue, overcoming the odds, and giving the vote to the people", said Cena.With John Cena ready to bring a new tournament to WWE fans, it will be interesting to see how it pans out with the audience.Also read: John Cena built an $80 million fortune beyond WWE by turning his wrestling fame into Hollywood rolesStay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.