The WWE booking of top heel Gunther has John Cena upset after their big retirement match. Cena had his popular retirement tour set financial records for WWE, and it culminated with the legend putting over Gunther in his final bout. Most legends doing the honors to help a younger star in this context expect to see the performer get pushed in a noteworthy role.
Cena revealed he thinks WWE is wasting Gunther but kept track of the bigger picture:
“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.
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.”
Cena made his point in the most professional manner to say he can’t put his energy into guessing why Gunther is not being used as strongly. WWE has used names like CM Punk, Sami Zayn, and Roman Reigns in the world title positions to limit Gunther’s push.
Why WWE Isn’t Pushing Gunther Strongly
One could argue that Gunther scored the most important WWE victory of the 2020s by being the man to retire Cena. Not only did Gunther defeat Cena in the icon’s final match. The imposing heel made the all-time great give up for one of the first times.
Cena tapping out was meant to portray Gunther as a killer and one of the most credible men in wrestling. Gunther is already a former world champion before having title reigns end to Punk and Jey Uso.
WWE has not put the title on Gunther, and it feels like he’s lacking a program to make him feel like one of the top stars again. Gunther will need a decisive win over names like Cody Rhodes, Punk or Reigns to build back his momentum fully.
Understanding John Cena’s Bigger WWE Point
Cena’s quote confirmed that he doesn’t question whether his efforts helping Gunther were worth it. Zero regrets from Cena saw him doing his best to help a younger top star get a historically great win.
Anything to come after involves Gunther and WWE’s creative team figuring out how to get to a higher level. Triple H is a massive supporter of Gunther and will likely have him in the highest positions again.
WWE has tried to pivot towards legacy stars like Reigns and Randy Orton having bigger roles. However, Gunther will likely be in a major program by the time WrestleMania 43 season is here. Few heels hold credibility close to Gunther despite his inconsistent booking lately.
John Cena Calls Out WWE Management For Wasting Gunther