At Saturday Night's Main Event this past weekend, John Cena faced Gunther—the winner of "The Last Time Is Now" tournament–in his final WWE match.
He put up one heck of a fight, but in the closing moments of the bout, we watched as Cena repeatedly tried and failed to escape from Gunther's sleeper hold. Accepting his fate and the fact that his time was well and truly up, the Last Real Champion smiled and tapped out to The Ring General.
Fans either love or hate the way Cena's career ended, though the meaning of that smile appears to have escaped many viewers. Now, Cena himself has provided an explanation, as fans continue to ask why the man who lived by the words "Never Give Up" ultimately gave up.
"I envision something beautiful. Saturday far exceeded whatever was in my heart and soul," Cena started. "I know I’m out there one last time. I’m out there, and they hate the guy I’m working with. They universally cheer me. That is f**king rare."
"For the last five minutes, everything I preach about story, drama, and having a conversation with the audience...the ones I love are in the front row, I know my colleagues are watching on the monitor in the back."
"We’re just in a sleeper hold, but we’re having that conversation with the audience. As I essentially take my last breath and have struggled," Cena continued. "You think of somebody, the natural causes scenario, or however we picture loss in our life, all of us have been through it. They struggle and struggle, but they hang on just long enough to make sure to say goodbye to everyone that is meaningful in their lives."
For Cena, tapping out after smiling was meant to signify that he was at peace with his fate and had completed his WWE journey.
"That whole day was so many meaningful and vulnerable conversations. Then, you realize, I’ve connected with everybody I love. Physically, I feel great. I think it’s time to take that last breath," Cena told his WrestleMania opponent, Cody Rhodes, in his first post-retirement interview. "I hate to keep going back to obituaries, but that was, 'This person died peacefully.'"
It's a compelling explanation, and one that confirms Cena was looking to tell a story in those final moments. He's clearly at peace with tapping out to Gunther, but whether fans will eventually come around to his way of thinking remains to be seen.
You can hear more from Cena in the player below.