In the lead-up to Saturday Night’s Main Event, there was plenty of speculation regarding who would be in attendance for the final match of John Cena’s career.
But while Vince McMahon reportedly wasn’t at the show (nor was Donald Trump), that didn’t stop the former WWE chairman from making his presence felt.
Following the conclusion of Cena’s last match, which ended with him controversially tapping out to Gunther, WWE executives, talent, and personnel flooded the ringside area for a post-match celebration. And despite being booed by the crowd due to his role as the head of the company’s creative team, chief content officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque still got on the microphone to direct the 17-time WWE champion to a video package.
But unlike the other Cena tributes that WWE has produced in recent weeks, this one included footage of an old Vince McMahon interview. While McMahon’s comments merely praise Cena, the use of the clip is noteworthy as WWE has largely distanced itself from its founder since his January 2024 departure from the company following a lawsuit from a former employee accusing him of sexual misconduct, including assault and trafficking (the lawsuit remains pending).
Initially, McMahon appeared to be persona non grata for the pro wrestling giant, with a WWE video game blurring his face in archival footage and Cena dodging questions about the allegations against his former boss. In recent months, however, acknowledging McMahon has become less taboo for WWE, with Levesque thanking his father-in-law during his Hall of Fame induction speech and WWE bringing back Brock Lesnar, who was named in the lawsuit.
John Cena smiles at the camera as the video shows Vince McMahon #ThankYouCena
— FADE (@FadeAwayMedia) December 14, 2025
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.