Welcome to Wrestling Inc.'s live coverage for WWE Saturday Night's Main Event on December 13, 2025, coming to you live from the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. at a special start time of 8 PM ET!
After spending just over 25 years in the wrestling business, John Cena will be competing in his final ever wrestling match as he collides with GUNTHER in what will mark their inaugural in-ring meeting. GUNTHER scored victories against "NXT" star Je'Von Evans, Carmelo Hayes, Solo Sikoa, and LA Knight in the First Round, quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals respectively in The Last Time Is Now Tournament to secure his spot in tonight's match and the right to call himself Cena's final opponent.
Speaking of Evans, he will be competing in a match of his own tonight as he joins forces with reigning TNA X-Division Champion Leon Slater to take on current World Tag Team Champions Dragon Lee and AJ Styles. While Evans has competed in a handful of matches on "WWE Raw" and "WWE SmackDown", this will mark the first time that Slater has competed in a match on the main roster.
As herself and Lyra Valkyria continue to chase after the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship, Bayley will be returning to singles competition as she squares off with "NXT" star Sol Ruca. While this will mark Bayley's first match since she and the aforementioned Valkyria came up short to Asuka and Kairi Sane on the November 3 episode of "Raw", Ruca will surely be looking to prove herself after she was unable to win the Women's Iron Survivor Challenge at Deadline to secure a shot at Jacy Jayne's NXT Women's Championship at "NXT" New Year's Evil.
Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes will be competing in his first match since taking part in the 2025 Men's WarGames Match at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames on November 29 as he goes head-to-head with reigning NXT Champion Oba Femi in a Champion vs. Champion Match. Not only did Femi dethrone Ricky Saints as NXT Champion at "NXT" Deadline, but he also earned the right to face Rhodes in tonight's match as per the stipulation of the December 6 contest.
Following the infamous Montreal Screwjob, Bret Hart made the jump from WWE to WCW and a lot of fans expected him to be one of WCW's top stars, but that wasn't the case. "The Hitman" would ultimately have his career ended in WCW, capping off a two year run that is widely regarded as the most disappointing stint of his career. Current AEW star Jeff Jarrett is an old friend of Hart and talked about his run in WCW on a recent episode of his "My World" podcast, stating that he knew things weren't going well for him, and that Hart didn't care as much as he used to.
"I knew things weren't going right for him creatively on so many deals,"Β Jarrett said, who recalled Hart not being into the idea of another New World Order reboot after the faction had been oversaturated at the time. "I knew that he wasn't going to be taking many flatbacks, so his heart wasn't in itβI could probably rephrase that. His heart wasn't into it. He was injured, he was on the mend coming back, but not a lot of passion into it."
After suffering a concussion at WCW Starrcade 1999 during a match with Goldberg, Hart would only wrestle a handful of matches before being sidelined permanently, and aside from some sporadic appearances in 2000, Hart would be cut from the company while he concussed and retired from wrestling completely by the end of the year. Jarrett knew cost-cutting measures were going on in WCW at the time, but he and the rest of the locker room never thought they would release "The Hitman."
"Bret being released and all that, it went so far under the radar of most folks, it happened without a lot of us even knowing,"Β Jarrett said. "His bell was rung, he had a concussion, but you know what? He'll work through that, he'll back...I don't think I really everβit never processed...You know what? Even the summer of no worries, if you would have asked me is Bret still getting paid? I would have said yes."
Please credit "My World" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/TΒ to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
John Cena stares jokingly at his iconic WWE World Heavyweight Spinner Championship. - WWE
In eight hours, the ultimate symbol of hope and heroism for viewers of all ages around the world, the Superman of professional wrestling, the quintessentialΒ peacemaker, the former 17-time World Champion and history-maker, John Cena, along with the spirit of his mantra "Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect," will make its final in-ring appearance after a hard-fought 23-year career. And while many are taking the time today to reflect on the foundation that "The Greatest of All Time" built, the champ himself would rather focus on the man who won "The Last Time Is Now" Tournament, GUNTHER, before reminiscing on all the wisdom he's shared and will leave behind in the ring after tonight's showcase.
"My eyes are focused on tomorrow night, Saturday Night's Main Event," "The Last Real Champion" told Pat McAfee. "We got a hell of a program. I'm honored to share the ring with someone who considers the mat a sacred place, whose moniker given to him is 'The Ring General' because he commands the best out of his opponents. I know it's not going to be a walkthrough. Probably going to be some strikes. You'll hear some from the mezzanine section way up there. I'm really excited to have such a hungry competitor and such a build match, which has tons of anticipation."
While tonight's show will be centered on his in-ring farewell, Cena refuses to see it as an "all about me" moment. Instead, he's proud to share the card with several stars just starting their meteoric careers, with hopes that his spirit will vicariously carry on through them.
"I'm also excited that we get to glimpse at the future of the business. You know, Je'Von Evans, Oba Femi, Leon Slater, Sol Ruca, all gonna be on the card against main event WWE current Superstars. This is a program with a bunch of eyes on it that's going to allow me to bow out," he added. "But I'm going to earn my way out because GUNTHER ain't going to go down lightly. And at the same time, it's going to provide an opportunity for the future of the business...So, I'll look in the rear view on Sunday."
Starting Sunday, the Cenation Leader will gear up for the second chapter of his career as a WWE ambassador. While it remains unconfirmed as of this report, Cena's legacy could reach a new level, as reports suggest that the former "Prototype" may join the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame Class.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "The Pat McAfee Show" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Cargill was asked about her debut during a recent appearance on the "Going Ringside" radio show, where she pulled back the curtain on whether she or Shaq were nervous. "I remember actually before going on stage I asked him if he was nervous, and he was like 'I'm Shaquille O'Neal. I can go out there and I can trip and I'll make something out of it. It's what I do, I entertain. That's what I do.' I took that and I was like 'You know what? People are here to see you and they're here to see Cody, but they're going to remember me. This is about me.' But I took that as like, you just have to show up and show out."
While she took the idea of having no fear from her match alongside Shaq, it was more how the wrestling business would perceive Cargill that made her nervous, especially considering that the most in-ring experience she had before that episode of "Dynamite" was a four-minute practice match. "This was something that I wasn't accustomed to. It was kind of something that I wouldn't even say I was prepared to do, but I went out there and did it." Cargill rounded off by saying that while Shaq did make her feel comfortable in the ring, it was the realization that she could swim in the deepest of waters that made her the most comfortable she had ever felt in a wrestling ring.
Please credit "Going Ringside" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
Across the first decade of his pro wrestling career, Bryan Danielson built a reputation as one of the best technical wrestlers in the industry, with his time in Ring of Honor making him a well-known name among fans. Though he had some experience working with WWE in the early 2000s, it wasn't until 2009 that the company signed Danielson to a full-time deal. In 2010, he debuted on the reality show version of "WWE NXT" under the name Daniel Bryan. This initial version of "NXT" had developmental stars each paired up with a main roster wrestler, and someone had the idea to pair up the technical-savvy Bryan with his complete opposite: The Miz.
Getting his start on reality TV show "The Real World" and some of its spin-offs, Mike "The Miz" Mizanin eventually appeared on the WWE reality series "Tough Enough" in 2004. This led to The Miz joining WWE, where he initially dealt with hazing from the locker room before eventually earning respect as an industry veteran. Back in 2010, however, when The Miz and Bryan were paired up on "NXT," Mizanin often excelled on the mic but had a reputation (at least among fans) for weak in-ring work.Β
Though this might have bothered some viewers, Danielson was totally onboard for the pairing, and it wound up being the beginning of a long-term working relationship.
Bryan Danielson & The Miz collaborated on ideas that WWE never used
Daniel Bryan with a short haircut wearing a red robe - WWE
During an appearance on "Insight with Chris Van Vliet," Danielson recalled his experience on "NXT." Though he felt the show was quite low on the list of priorities in WWE, he saw it as an excellent opportunity for exposure and, without checking with WWE officials, changed his entire look to match how he believed a "rookie" might appear.
"I tried to look as generic as possible," Danielson said. "And me and Miz were collaborating on this stuff, some ideas. Miz was great about pitching ideas to the writers and all that kind of stuff. [The story was], 'Okay, I can't learn wrestling from Miz, but he's going to teach me to be a Superstar.' And me being frustrated, like, 'That's not important. The only thing that's important is the wrestling.'"
Although both Danielson and The Miz set out with this goal in mind, and felt it would be successful on TV, it didn't gain much traction with WWE's creative department. The storyline continued, but the company never really emphasized the elements that the two wrestlers had in mind.
"None of it ever happened, so I just looked like a nerd for no reason," Danielson stated.
Instead, Danielson was quickly eliminated from "NXT" but went on to wrestle and beat The Miz on an episode of "WWE Raw" for the United States Championship. Danielson would be fired from WWE shortly thereafter before being re-hired later that year, where he continued feuding with The Miz before both men moved on to other endeavors.
Things get heated on Talking Smack
The Miz and Daniel Bryan having a confrontation on Talking Smack - WWE
In the years after, Bryan and The Miz would continue to lock up on occasion, often in tag matches or at live events. The next substantial storyline between the two didn't begin until after Bryan was forced to retire due to accumulating neck injuries.
In 2016, while he was inactive, Bryan was made co-host of "Talking Smack," a post-show that was shown on the WWE Network after episodes of "WWE SmackDown," while also serving as the onscreen General Manager of the blue brand. When The Miz appeared as a guest on "Talking Smack," he and Bryan got into a heated exchange that many were convinced was at least somewhat real. However, the only genuine aspect was the frustration that both men felt about their position in the company, and the segments allowed them to get some of that off their chests in a productive manner.
"If they weren't going to clear me, I wanted my release," Danielson said on "Insight." "We came up with the idea ... and we didn't talk with anybody about it. It was just me and him. And we had talked about β 'Hey, is it okay if I say this?' 'Hey, is it okay if I say this?' 'Yeah. Let's do it.' And then at the end, I was going to punch him, like legit punch him."
Danielson has previously revealed that he would've been fine with getting fired from the incident, but he wound up deciding not to actually punch Mizanin, instead letting The Miz get to "win" the moment. Afterwards, both men felt it went off without a hitch, and the clip spread like wildfire on the internet. However, it did not move the needle in getting WWE to clear Danielson to wrestle, but it would happen eventually.
Bryan Danielson's personal feelings on The Miz
The Miz cutting a promo directly into the camera - WWE
Though many fans bought into their onscreen interactions and believed that Danielson and Mizanin actively don't like each other, that isn't the case. During the interview, Danielson acknowledged that they get along well, though there are plenty of differences between the two.
"I always say in interviews that β 'Oh, me and Miz don't like each other,' or whatever it is, but I think I can drop the act and say I like him," Danielson said. "We created this story that's lasted ... since the time I started with WWE. ... We were always working together [but] we are very different personalities, so you can buy it."
Eventually, Danielson and The Miz did lock up again numerous times in WWE after Danielson came out of retirement in 2018. These days, Danielson has retired from full-time in-ring competition once again, and it's not clear if he'll ever wrestle another match. He does remain involved, doing commentary on "AEW Dynamite" each week.
Meanwhile, The Miz is still an active wrestler in WWE. For much of 2025, he was involved in a storyline on "SmackDown" with Carmelo Hayes before taking part in the Last Time Is Now tournament to decide John Cena's final opponent.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Insight with Chris Van Vliet" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
John Cena at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames 2025 - WWE
As 2025 rapidly draws to a close, so does John Cena's wrestling career as his year-long retirement tour is set to conclude at the final major WWE event of the year, Saturday Night's Main Event on December 13. The show will take place at the Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., where a sold out crowd will see 17-time WWE Champion one last time. However, Saturday Night's Main Event isn't a one match show by any means, and with bell time just hours away, here is what the fans in the United States capital have to look forward to.
The natural place to start is match dubbed "The Last Time Is Now" as the final opponent of John Cena will be none other than "The Ring General" Gunther. The former WWE World Heavyweight Champion won a 16-man tournament to earn the right to face Cena in Washington D.C., and since confirming his spot on the card, Gunther has vowed to make Cena tap out. With that said, Cena's motto throughout nearly all of his WWE career has been to never give up, and with one more round left in him, he will have a major task on his hands if he wants to finish his career on a high note.
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