Former TNA Wrestling President Scott D’Amore recently wrote a column for Yahoo! Uncrowned where he discussed several topics, including John Cena’s retirement run.
D’Amore said, “The end of John Cena’s amazing career is just 65 days away. I think the idea Cena and WWE did — having a full final year — is a good one, but we’ve all seen the pressure WWE has been under to get this retirement year right. I guess you can be damned if you play it safe and just book good matches (like vs. AJ Styles this weekend at Crown Jewel), and damned if you take risks like the heel turn that started so red hot and then cooled to sub-zero temperatures.”
On Cena losing to Lesnar:
“For me, even though I thought the loss — and manner of the loss — to Brock Lesnar was good booking, I don’t think there’s any value in going back to Brock again. There’s nothing new to say there, and Cena shouldn’t be beating Lesnar — who is a major heel at a time WWE needs one — at this point anyway.”
On rumors of Cena potentially facing GUNTHER in his final match:
“There’s talk Cena’s final match on Dec. 13 will be against GUNTHER. GUNTHER would be a great match, but I don’t think Cena should necessarily beat GUNTHER. It depends, Ric Flair lost his final match to Shawn Michaels (I know, I know — I helped promote a final, final match years later, but work with me here) and that loss was as emotionally satisfying as any win. But … they did the heel turn that didn’t work. They beat Cena badly with Brock. Maybe giving the fans the high of a feel-good ending is the right decision after all. WWE has a big decision here. They can take the happy ending route with John and have him go out with the W. John has earned that, if indeed he wants it. He carried WWE for two decades. He proved this year that, at age 48, he can still go, and maybe the lights dim on his career with him standing tall? He deserves that kind of exit, one that feels final but respectful — something that lets people celebrate him rather than mourn the end.”
On Cena’s legacy:
“For a generation of WWE supporters, John Cena is more than just a babyface or a hero. He’s their avatar. He’s their pride as wrestling fans … the guy they pointed to when their friends made fun of wrestling and they went, Look at John Cena, so powerful, so smart — and look at all the things he does for sick kids. It is easy to be proud to be a fan of John Cena.”
