John Cena has acknowledged the criticism surrounding Gunther’s current WWE run, admitting that there may be some truth to fans believing the former World Heavyweight Champion is being underused. At the same time, Cena made it clear that he does not have enough insight into WWE’s creative plans to call the direction a mistake.
Cena discussed Gunther during an appearance on Busted Open while promoting Matchbox: The Movie. The conversation comes less than a year after Gunther ended Cena’s in-ring career, making him the last opponent the 17-time World Champion faced.
Gunther defeated Cena by submission at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, 2025. “The Ring General” locked Cena in the Sleeper Hold for a second time before forcing him to tap out, bringing an end to Cena’s career after more than two decades in WWE.
The victory was also another significant addition to Gunther’s run against WWE legends. Earlier in 2025, he defeated Goldberg in the Hall of Famer’s final match, before later defeating AJ Styles at the 2026 Royal Rumble, giving him a reputation for ending the careers of some of WWE’s most established names.
With fans now questioning what happened to the momentum Gunther built during that period, Cena offered a more measured view of the situation.
“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.”
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The Cenation Leader’s comments also reflect how he approached his own final match. Rather than worrying about what WWE would do with Gunther afterward, he focused on making his opponent look as strong as possible and leaving the next step to the company.
Gunther Is Still Involved in WWE’s Top Storylines
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Gunther has remained around the main-event picture on SmackDown, even though his recent results have not matched the level of his earlier championship run. His most notable setback came on September 25, when he faced CM Punk and Finn Bálor in a Money in the Bank qualifier. Gunther had Punk trapped in the Sleeper when Bálor attacked him with the Coup de Grace, allowing Punk to recover and pin Gunther to qualify for the ladder match.
The Ring General has since moved into a developing angle involving WWE Champion Sami Zayn. On October 2, Gunther attacked Bálor before putting Zayn down as well, making it clear that he remains a threat to the champion despite not currently holding a title.
His unusual interactions with Danhausen have also become part of his current presentation. Danhausen first encountered Gunther backstage on August 28, and their interactions have continued, with the former ROH star repeatedly following the Austrian around and getting under his skin.
For now, Gunther’s direction is still taking shape. John Cena may understand why fans are questioning it, but he also believes the bigger picture could look very different once WWE’s plans for The Ring General become clearer.
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