After much speculation, the exact date for John Cena’s retirement match has reportedly been confirmed as December 13, set to take place at Boston‘s TD Garden. This event, tied closely to Cena’s wrestling legacy and near his hometown of West Newbury, is expected to happen during Saturday Night’s Main Event, marking the end of an iconic career.
Insiders JoeyVotes and TC have revealed that NBC strongly prefers December 13 for the match, rejecting an alternative date of December 27. The later date was considered to compete with AEW’s Worlds End event but was scrapped due to NBC’s NFL commitments, which prevent direct scheduling conflicts for broadcast viewership.
Concerns Over Advertising Interruptions at Cena’s Farewell
The upcoming retirement match raises concerns following <a href="https://cynicaltimes.org/category/wrestling-news/wwe/”>WWE’s recent experience with Goldberg’s farewell at Saturday Night’s Main Event. Goldberg’s retirement speech was prematurely cut off by a sudden ad break, sparking widespread frustration among fans and talent alike.
In the July episode of SNME, advertisements made up nearly 30% of total airtime with almost a dozen commercial breaks, one occurring immediately before Goldberg’s final words. WWE has limited control over NBC’s ad scheduling, which complicates efforts to avoid such disruptions during high-profile moments.
Efforts to Prevent Another Abrupt Ending During Cena’s Send-Off
Given John Cena’s stature, WWE and its partners are hopeful that NBC will avoid repeating mistakes seen with Goldberg’s speech. WWE swiftly apologized to Goldberg after the incident, emphasizing their desire for a respectful farewell presentation.
There is speculation that WWE might push for a simultaneous or alternative streaming of Cena’s retirement match on platforms like YouTube, allowing for uninterrupted airtime free from network advertising restrictions.
Ensuring a dignified conclusion to Cena’s career is critical for both the promotion and the many fans who have followed his journey. The final event at Boston’s TD Garden is expected to be a landmark moment in wrestling history, signaling the conclusion of one of the sport’s most celebrated careers.
“John Cena’s retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event will certainly raise a lot of questions around whether there will be a repeat of the entire Goldberg situation.” —Anonymous source
“You might be shocked to learn that advertisements accounted for 30% of the airtime of Saturday Night’s Main Event in July.” —Anonymous source
“It’s normally WWE doesn’t have a say over when the network wants to air advertisements. NBC is in complete control over this, but one can only hope that the promotion makes it clear that there can’t be a repeat of the Goldberg situation.” —Anonymous source
“It was noted by Fightful that WWE immediately apologized to Goldberg after his speech was cut off.” —Anonymous source
