WWE superstar John Cena’s farewell tour is drawing to a close, but former rival and tag team partner David Otunga has voiced his disappointment with how the company has handled Cena’s historic career send-off.
During an appearance on the Ariel Helwani Show, the ex-WWE Tag Team Champion shared that Cena’s farewell lacked the energizing focus and excitement he believes the 17-time world champion truly deserves. “Honestly, I wish it had been a bit more thrilling,” Otunga remarked. “It wasn’t quite what fans were expecting.”
Otunga compared Cena’s departure unfavorably to the farewell tour of basketball legend Kobe Bryant. “I wanted Cena to have a send-off like Kobe’s—it was outstanding. Cena deserves that kind of celebration. He calls himself the greatest of all time, and he’s not wrong. He truly deserves a grand farewell,” Otunga added.
He also expressed dissatisfaction with Cena’s last match on Raw, a victorious six-man tag team bout where Cena, Rey Mysterio, and Sheamus defeated Dominik Mysterio, Finn Balor, and J.D. McDonagh.
“I want to see more. I’m not exactly sure what that looks like, but they need to put more effort into it,” Otunga said. “His final Raw at Madison Square Garden, the six-man tag was good, but I wanted to see a remarkable one-on-one match—something that truly represents what John Cena is all about on Raw.”
Cena and Otunga share a lengthy history, including feuds as part of the Nexus faction and a brief reign as WWE Tag Team Champions at Bragging Rights 2010. Cena’s last year in WWE was marked by significant accomplishments like turning heel, headlining major events such as WrestleMania, winning a record 17th world title, and making it to the SummerSlam finals.
Fan Take: This critique from Otunga highlights a missed opportunity for WWE to properly honor one of the greatest icons in its history. For fans, a more impactful farewell could have provided a fitting closure to Cena’s illustrious career, reinforcing the value of legacy and excellence in wrestling.
