The post–John Cena era of WWE commenced not with a gentle transition but with an explosive impact, evidenced by WWE RAW's immediate ascent to the Number 1 spot on Netflix. This surge in viewership was overwhelmingly driven by fans' intense desire to witness the aftermath of Cena’s career-ending loss and the profound emotional response from the WWE Universe to his decision to retire, particularly given the manner of his defeat, compounded by Gunther’s merciless follow-up.

Monday’s RAW from Hershey, Pennsylvania, opened with a scene that the fanbase was clearly not emotionally prepared for. Gunther, fresh off the most significant victory of his career, marched to the ring to gloat about having ended the career of what many consider the greatest wrestler of all time. The crowd’s reaction was vehemently negative; every word from “The Ring General’s” mouth was drowned out by thunderous boos, not the polite kind, but the kind that visibly shake an arena. This intense reaction unequivocally answered the question many fans had been asking since Saturday Night’s Main Event: Did Gunther truly need to make Cena tap out? Monday night’s events demonstrated precisely why he did.

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