John Cena’s final match on WWE SmackDown ended without a winner after Brock Lesnar made his return, attacking both Cena and United States Champion Sami Zayn. The match, held at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, saw Cena pay tribute to several iconic rivals with their own signature moves before Lesnar’s interference brought the United States Championship contest to a No Contest.
The night began with Cena in the ring for a farewell promo, where he received a standing ovation and “Thank you Cena” chants from the Chicago crowd. He was interrupted by Sami Zayn, who paid respect to Cena’s legacy of elevating talent with his US Open Challenge. Zayn then initiated his own version of the challenge, offering Cena a title shot, which Cena accepted for an impromptu main event.
During the competitive, back-and-forth match, Cena honored a list of his legendary rivals. He hit an Angle Slam and an Ankle Lock as a nod to Kurt Angle, the man he faced in his 2002 televised debut. Cena also delivered a Pop-Up Powerbomb for Kevin Owens, a spear for Edge, a Clothesline From Hell for JBL, and a GTS for Chicago’s own CM Punk.
As the match neared its climax, Lesnar appeared and pulled the referee from the ring to stop a pinfall. He entered the ring and hit both Zayn and Cena with an F5, causing the official to call for the bell. For emphasis, Lesnar then delivered a second F5 to Cena.
Following the assault, Lesnar cut a backstage promo confirming he will face Cena at WWE Wrestlepalooza on September 20 in Indianapolis. This attack continues a feud that began when Lesnar assaulted Cena at SummerSlam.
The event marked a significant bookend for Cena’s career on the blue brand. His first televised WWE match and his final SmackDown appearance both took place in the same Chicago arena.