Why John Cena's Final Match May Not Close Out WWE Saturday Night's Main Event

While it had been reported that John Cena vs. Gunther would open WWE Saturday Night's Main Event on December 13, the match's placement on the card is up in the air once again, with discussions ongoing within WWE about if Cena's retirement match will open or close the event in Washington, DC.

According to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, though, John Cena is behind the campaign for his final match to open the show as he wants the NXT wrestlers to be viewed as the main eventers.

"They could open with anything they want on Saturday night. The day the show is going to come, someone may say, 'You know what? What are we doing? Let's put the John Cena match on last.' All I can tell you is 100 per cent the idea was 100 per cent that John Cena's match was going on first. Now, whether it does, we'll find out the day of the show. There are a lot of arguments for and against. John Cena wants to go on first. It's John Cena's retirement match. He wants to open the show. He has said this publicly. He has said this privately. Whatever everyone else's arguments are about where the match should take place, John Cena wants to go on first," Alvarez said.

"John Cena legitimately wanted NXT wrestlers on the show so that they could be showcased for his final appearance, his final Saturday Night's Main Event. He said this countless times, 'I don't want this show to be about me. I am going to have my final match on this show, but I want this match to be a springboard for other people as well.' And so in his mind, he wants to open the show so that the NXT wrestlers can be seen as the main eventers."

John Cena opening the show is not widely popular within WWE, however, and WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select noted that the majority of people within the company, and numerous higher-ups, want Cena to main event the show on December 13.