John Cena Retires: WWE Replicated Hulk Hogan Tribute After Gunther Match

Gunther made Cena tap out at Saturday Night's Main Event, much to the frustration of thousands of fans inside Capital One Arena, who made clear they weren't happy with the decision. Boos rang out, and several jeers were directed at WWE chief content officer Triple H once he arrived with the roster and many other WWE employees.

Those boos were paused for a moment when CM Punk and Cody Rhodes entered the ring and placed their world titles on Cena's shoulders. It looked as though the 48-year-old wasn't expecting this and he eventually ended up raising the WWE Championship and World Heavyweight Championship towards the fans.

This was a throwback to a segment from 2005, when Cena and Batista presented the two world titles to Hogan following a dark six-man tag team match. The two world champions at the time saluted the Hulkster before the trio celebrated together.

Intentional or not, it was quite fitting that WWE bid farewell to Cena with a nod to Hogan, who sadly passed in July of this year. That segment was an indication of a changing of the guard at the time, and a similar situation occurred on Saturday night.

Cena showcased the younger generation on the same night of his retirement and this saw Oba Femi collide with Rhodes, Sol Ruca defeat Bayley, and Je'Von Evans and Leon Slater push AJ Styles and Dragon Lee close in a tag match.

Hulk Hogan Called John Cena His 'Favorite Wrestler'

There will always be debates over who the true GOAT of WWE is with many firmly in Hogan's corner while others believe Cena eclipsed him. But the WWE Hall of Famer was a massive fan of the now-retired legendary WWE star and explained in an interview with Forbes earlier this year:

"John Cena was my favorite wrestler. Let me start there. Because I grinded for years, brother, and there was no Rock, no Stone Cold. There was only me for 20-plus years. I saw all the Make-A-Wish kids. I've met with all the station producers, everybody. So John stepped up and really ran with the ball and he did a really great job. I think he saw more Make-A-Wish kids than anybody's ever seen."

Cena and Hogan never wrestled one another in a one-on-one match but shared the ring on one or two occasions. The iconic duo are two names that many place on their Mount Rushmore of pro wrestling.