The Heat on Gunther Is Real
Making John Cena tap set off a reaction that didn’t end with the show.
It started with a finish that still doesn’t sit right with a lot of people.
At Saturday Night’s Main Event, Gunther didn’t just beat John Cena, he made him tap, something Cena rarely did over the course of his WWE career. That detail mattered, and the crowd reacted like it mattered. The shock came first, then the anger, as fans tried to process a result they weren’t used to seeing. That frustration spilled over immediately, with Triple H getting booed in the ring after the match.
Inside the building, the emotions were immediate and raw. Video circulated of a young fan at ringside screaming and cursing at Gunther, clearly distraught over what had just happened. Gunther didn’t ignore him, he calmly bantered back, leaning into it rather than backing off. The kid got more upset, eventually breaking down and eventually crying, while Gunther stood his ground. In the background, Wade Barrett was visible at the announce table, smiling as the exchange unfolded.
That reaction didn’t stay confined to the arena. After the show, Gunther needed a security escort to get to his bus because fans were pursuing him outside, chanting “fuck you, Gunther” as he was led away. It wasn’t part of an angle or something meant for television, just a sign that the finish had struck a nerve that still hadn’t cooled off once the lights went up.
Gunther didn’t do anything to ease that reaction. On Monday Night Raw last night, he addressed the match and said Cena tapped “like a little bitch.” There was no attempt to soften it or move past the finish. He said it plainly and let the crowd react however it was going to react, reopening something that clearly hadn’t healed.
Taken together, none of this felt manufactured. The heat followed Gunther out of the arena and into television storylines moving forward.