John Cena Salutes Gunther in Subtle NXT Moment

John Cena acknowledged Gunther in a quiet but powerful gesture during his appearance on WWE NXT this week.

As Cena made his way to the ring, he passed a portrait of Gunther displayed on the wall.

He stopped, looked at the image, and tipped his hat.

The moment lasted only a few seconds.

But for those who know the history between the two men, it carried enormous weight.

Cena’s last professional wrestling match took place on December 13, 2025.

Gunther was the man who beat him, sending Cena into retirement.

Since that night, Gunther has continued his run in WWE, though some fans and analysts have argued the company is not using him at his full potential.

Cena addressed that very criticism during a recent appearance on the Busted Open Radio podcast.

He did not defend WWE’s booking decisions, but he also did not join the chorus of critics.

“I know there’s sentiment out there that like, ‘Man, they’re wasting Gunther!’”

Cena said on the podcast.

“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.”

Cena offered a possible explanation for why Gunther’s television time has shifted.

“Maybe they’re just cooling him off. Maybe they’re putting him away from TV. I don’t know,” he said.

He made clear that his own approach to working with Gunther was to give him as much as possible.

“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,” Cena said.

“And what you do with it afterwards, that ain’t my call.”

The NXT hat-tip appeared to be a continuation of that philosophy.

Cena did not need to speak.

The gesture said everything.

It told the audience that Cena holds no bitterness about losing his final match.

It told Gunther — and the WWE locker room — that the GOAT respects the Ring General.

And it reminded fans that the man who ended Cena’s career is still very much in the picture.

Gunther’s recent run has been a topic of debate among wrestling insiders.

Since retiring Cena, he has also defeated AJ Styles in Styles’ retirement match at the 2026 Royal Rumble.

Those two wins alone would cement most careers.

But Gunther has since moved into a program with Danhausen, a comedy character whose gimmick involves face paint, curses, and exaggerated mannerisms.

The shift from main-event title programs to comedy segments has led some to argue that WWE is wasting one of its most physically imposing performers.

Another wrestler who has worked closely with Gunther offered a different take.

The Miz, speaking on the same Busted Open Radio program, said he loves the current direction.

“I think the way they’re utilizing Gunther…I cannot stand a monster that is just ‘Rawr rawr rawr rawr,’” Miz said.

“It’s one note. Give me layers to a character. Give me layers. And this allows him to get another layer of hatred for Gunther in a completely different way.”

Miz argued that working with a comedic opponent tests a serious wrestler’s range.

“Can he do it with everybody? And this is his test,” Miz said.

“This is another test for Gunther to showcase ‘Hey, I may be in this comedy thing, but I can still make it look real and effortless and technical and be still the menacing Gunther that I need to be without being ‘Rawr rawr rawr. I’m big, bad professional wrestler, hahaha.’”

Miz acknowledged his own bias, as a WWE employee who has worked with Danhausen and survived decades in the company.

But he insisted that the program benefits Gunther by adding depth to his character.

“I love it. I love this,” Miz said.

“I could be wrong, I might be, but I love layers to a character.”

Gunther’s current storyline also involves Finn Balor, who recently brought back his masked alter ego, The Demon.

On the October 30 edition of SmackDown, Balor appeared in full Demon paint and attacked Gunther in Charleston, West Virginia.

The segment followed two months of run-ins among Gunther, Balor, and Danhausen.

None of those nights produced a singles match between Balor and Gunther.

The last singles match between the two took place on the July 29, 2024 edition of Raw, where Gunther won with a Sleeper hold.

Gunther’s path first crossed with Danhausen on the August 28 SmackDown.

That night, Gunther walked in on a meeting between Danhausen and SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis.

On the September 11 SmackDown, Aldis steered Balor toward Money in the Bank rather than a title shot.

Gunther cut in and claimed Balor had not mattered in a decade.

Balor answered with a punch to the face, and Aldis had to step in.

Punk, Gunther, and Balor met in a Money in the Bank qualifier on September 25.

Balor’s Coup de Grace broke up a Sleeper that Gunther had locked on Punk, who rolled over and pinned him.

The loss kept both Gunther and Balor out of the ladder match.

Balor went after Zayn during a promo on the October 2 SmackDown, and Gunther then attacked both men near the stage.

Later in the show, Danhausen tested a new device that scans for evil.

The device found it in Gunther, who tossed Danhausen across a hallway.