Even on the night of his final WWE match, John Cena was still focused on helping the next generation.
Rising WWE star Sol Ruca recently revealed that Cena took time to personally mentor her backstage before and after his emotional retirement match against Gunther in December 2025.
Speaking on The Ringer Wrestling Show ahead of her upcoming match against Becky Lynch at Saturday Night’s Main Event, Ruca shared details about her backstage interactions with Cena during his farewell match against Gunther in December 2025.
Ruca revealed that Cena personally watched her match earlier in the night — where she scored a major victory over Bayley — and offered feedback moments before heading out for his own retirement bout. Talk about hustle, loyalty, respect… and multitasking.
“Right before John went out he had watched our match and he had given us some feedback on it,” Ruca said. “Both of us were like, ‘Oh my god, he’s literally about to go out right this second.’ Yet he’s taking the time to come and talk to us and give us feedback on our match.”
John Cena continued mentoring Sol Ruca after final WWE match
According to Ruca, Cena’s guidance didn’t stop after the bell rang on his own career. Following his emotional submission loss to Gunther, Cena reportedly sought her out backstage once again to continue the conversation.
“He went out there, came back after his match, called us back again,” Ruca explained. “He’s like, ‘See what I did? This is exactly what I was talking about.’”
Ruca added that she was stunned Cena continued mentoring younger talent on a night centered entirely around his retirement.
“I just could not believe that he took the time out of his day,” she said. “This was all about him and he still took the time to talk to us and give us feedback and leave the place better than he found it.”
Cena has publicly praised Ruca in the past, even calling her the “first name when it comes to athleticism and innovation.”
Since that farewell event, Ruca’s stock has continued to rise on WWE’s main roster, proving Cena may have spotted a future headliner before the rest of the locker room caught on.
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