During John Cena’s final advertised appearance on WWE SmackDown, commentator Michael Cole referenced Big Show, a talent currently signed with All Elite Wrestling. The mention occurred at the Allstate Arena in Chicago during a United States Championship match between Cena and the champion, Sami Zayn.
The night began with Cena addressing the Chicago crowd, reflecting on his career in the city where he made his WWE debut in 2002. Following the address, United States Champion Sami Zayn interrupted and offered Cena a title match, which Cena accepted.
The specific reference to the AEW talent happened during the contest when Cole recalled Cena’s first championship victory in WWE. Cole noted that Cena won the United States Championship by defeating Big Show at WrestleMania XX, a detail that stood out due to Big Show’s current employment with a rival promotion.
However, the championship match never reached a proper conclusion. Brock Lesnar made a surprise return, storming the ring to attack both competitors. Lesnar delivered an F5 to Zayn and two F5s to Cena, causing the referee to rule the match a no contest.
This assault directly set up the next major event in Cena’s retirement tour. Later in the broadcast, Lesnar challenged Cena to a match at WWE WrestlePalooza on September 20, which was made official. The chaotic ending shifted the focus from a celebratory farewell to a violent renewal of a rivalry that last saw a singles match at Night of Champions in 2014.