never give up
Last night we watched John Cena’s last WWE match, and like everyone in the stadium or watching at home, we were in shock as we watched Cena tap out while being held in a sleeper hold. The legend whose motto is “Never Give Up” appeared to give up–and in the initial moments of the tapout, I missed the poetic ending of John Cena’s career.
But the truth is, he didn’t give up.
If you haven’t seen the ending, as he lay in the ring with his opponent’s arms wrapped around him, trying to put him to sleep, Cena smiled and lightly tapped his opponent’s arm, signaling that he was done and conceded the match.
The smile.
The gentle tap.
They signaled that he was not giving up, but deciding that it was time to call his career to an end. He gave 24 years to professional wrestling, became the greatest champion of all time, earned the respect of his peers, and touched not just his fans but also the lives of the 650 Make-A-Wish recipients he spent time with (a world record)
This morning, when I went into Silas’s room, I could tell something was bothering him as he played WWE 2k25 on his PlayStation. When I asked him what was wrong, he leaned his head on my shoulder and said he didn’t understand why John Cena tapped out–he was still thinking about the match the night before. I explained to him that the more I thought about it last night, the more sense I made of the match and that it was actually the perfect ending for John Cena’s career–even if the fans didn’t like it.
First, I have to believe that WWE allowed Cena to write the script for how his final match would go, which means it was probably HIS idea to tap out for the first time in over 20 years and appear to give up, when he’s spent his career encouraging the world not to give up. For reasons we may never fully know, Cena ended his final match in a way that was authentic to his Self.
Second, he has been very vocal about helping the next generation of wrestlers, and while I really can’t stand the wrestler he lost to, Cena launched him into ultimate villain status in the eyes of the fans. He also spent some of his final matches leading up to last night helping other up-and-coming wrestlers get the spotlight. Again, an authentic finish to his career.
And finally (because I didn’t want to throw too much at Silas), the smile and gentle tap looked like Cena had finally come to the acceptance that it was finally time to end the WWE chapter of his life. I wonder if the script was that he’d tap out to end the match, but only when he was ready–there were plenty of other opportunities before the final tapout where he could have, but he kept on fighting. I wonder if anyone knew exactly when he’d end the match and his career.
As I rewatched the final moments again this morning, I noticed there was no struggle on Cena’s face–only peace. It looked like he was at peace with his decision and accepted it was time.
I hope more fans see the intentionality of his final match, because I believe John Cena gave us all an inspiring message as he left the WWE. He didn't give up--he chose to end a chapter of his life in a way that was authentically his own.
See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,
JC
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