{"id":149220,"date":"2025-12-23T14:39:56","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T19:39:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=149220"},"modified":"2025-12-23T14:39:56","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T19:39:56","slug":"5-more-wrestlers-gunther-can-retire-after-john-cena-and-goldberg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/23\/5-more-wrestlers-gunther-can-retire-after-john-cena-and-goldberg\/","title":{"rendered":"5 More Wrestlers Gunther Can Retire After John Cena (And Goldberg)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Gunther has been the talk of the town after making John Cena tap out in his final match on the recent <span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><a style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/12\/13\/wwe-saturday-nights-main-event-snme-xlii-results-12-13-25-live-updates\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event XLII<\/a><\/span>. Gunther had also retired Goldberg on the same event, a few months ago. Since retiring Cena, he has become the biggest heel in the wrestling business with insane momentum behind him.<\/p>\n<p>When the decision of Cena giving up in his final match left the fans divided, it is clear that WWE has big plans for Gunther. WWE could be thinking of giving him a modern legend killer role, where he goes on to retire more legends to establish his dominance. With multiple top WWE wrestlers nearing their retirement, here are 5 more wrestlers The Ring General can send to retirement.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Gunther vs. Goldberg | World Heavyweight Title Match: Saturday Night&#039;s Main Event\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Kb2iwSylEAQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>5. Sheamus<\/h2>\n<p>Sheamus and Gunther have delivered instant classics every time they&#8217;ve stepped into the ring together. Their brutal showdown at Clash at the Castle 2022 is widely regarded as one of the best WWE matches in recent years. It showcased their hard-hitting, physical style at its absolute peak.<\/p>\n<p>While Sheamus has expressed no immediate retirement plans, reality cannot be ignored as he is pushing 48 years old and is currently sidelined with an injury. Fans desperately hope The Celtic Warrior continues delivering bangers for years to come, but at his age, the body&#8217;s limits become unpredictable. Given his history with Gunther and their incredible chemistry, one final banger against The Ring General would be the perfect sendoff for Sheamus.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Gunther vs. Sheamus | Intercontinental Championship Match: Clash at the Castle 2022\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/J1OpYq5L6gk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>4. CM Punk<\/h2>\n<p>CM Punk is the current World Heavyweight Champion and has shown no signs of slowing down, consistently delivering outstanding performances. However, given his unfortunate recent history with injuries, we never know when the 47-year-old would be forced to retire, and in that case, Gunther would be an ideal final opponent for him.<\/p>\n<p>Gunther and CM Punk had an intense confrontation on the recent episode of Monday Night RAW, teasing a future feud between the two. They had a match previously at SummerSlam 2025, where Punk defeated Gunther to capture the World Heavyweight Title. Gunther would definitely be eyeing revenge for the loss, and it could make a compelling story for Punk&#8217;s final match.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Gunther vs. CM Punk | World Heavyweight Title Match: SummerSlam 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/UTZTC4KPTjg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>3. Randy Orton<\/h2>\n<p>If WWE truly wants to establish Gunther as the new Legend Killer, he must retire the original Legend Killer, Randy Orton. Orton built his early career by targeting several legends, including Mick Foley, Ric Flair, and The Undertaker. Thus, Orton might have an indifference towards Gunther trying to steal his persona.<\/p>\n<p>It is not known when Orton plans to retire, but it could be soon. He hasn&#8217;t been a vital part of WWE&#8217;s programming lately, and he also turns 46 next year. Orton and Gunther have already battled previously in 2024, and both their matches were solid. Given Orton&#8217;s history with John Cena, WWE could also use that story to amplify the feud, and Gunther would definitely give Orton a great final match.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Gunther vs. Randy Orton | World Heavyweight Title Match: Bash in Berlin 2024\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1z1KOkBpxxU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>2. AJ Styles<\/h2>\n<p>After John Cena, AJ Styles is the next wrestler who has confirmed his retirement in 2026. If it is unclear when exactly he will retire, we can expect Styles to have his last match towards the end of 2026. With numerous dream opponents still available, Gunther emerges as a strong choice to retire The Phenomenal One.<\/p>\n<p>WWE recently planted seeds for this potential encounter when Gunther and Styles had a brief confrontation on the Monday Night RAW episode immediately following Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event. The two men have wrestled before on house shows, but never on a televised event. A clash between Styles&#8217; high-flying technical style and Gunther&#8217;s brutal power game would create a fascinating contest and provide AJ Styles with a worthy final opponent.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Gunther taunts AJ Styles with John Cena\u2019s \u201cYou Can\u2019t See Me\u201d: Raw highlights Dec. 15, 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/B-77mUjjcFo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>1. Brock Lesnar<\/h2>\n<p>Since Gunther&#8217;s main roster debut, a clash between The Ring General and Brock Lesnar has been on every wrestling fan&#8217;s wishlist. In fact, WWE reportedly had plans for this dream match at WrestleMania 40, but the bout was scrapped after Lesnar was pulled from programming due to real-life legal controversies.<\/p>\n<p>Now that Lesnar is back, the dream match is back on the table. It has been rumored that Lesnar would be retiring from wrestling at SummerSlam 2026 in his hometown of Minneapolis. Gunther would be the perfect wrestler to retire Lesnar. He is the most believable wrestler on the roster who can stand toe-to-toe with Lesnar and even defeat him. It would be an amazing, hard-hitting battle, and the perfect way for Lesnar to retire.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_149232\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-149232\" style=\"width: 1280px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-149232\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/gunther-brock-lesnar-wwe.jpg\" alt=\"Gunther and Brock Lesnar \" width=\"1280\" height=\"720\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/gunther-brock-lesnar-wwe.jpg 1280w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/gunther-brock-lesnar-wwe-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/gunther-brock-lesnar-wwe-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/12\/gunther-brock-lesnar-wwe-768x432.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-149232\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo credit: WWE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><b>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><i>Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><em><u><i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i> for more on Gunther and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><i>You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81788927\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Netflix<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(Raw),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>USA Network<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>The CW<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(NXT),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/tubitv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Tubi<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aetv.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>A&amp;E<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Peacock<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Main Event, as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>YouTube<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/events\/1773457579022155776?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>WWE Speed<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>).<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gunther has been the talk of the town after making John Cena tap out in his final match on the recent Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event XLII. Gunther had also retired Goldberg on the same event, a few months ago. Since retiring Cena, he has become the biggest heel in the wrestling business with insane momentum [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5707,"featured_media":149231,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2192,4,3],"tags":[145,57,140,8238,165,58,399],"class_list":["post-149220","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-aj-styles","tag-brock-lesnar","tag-cm-punk","tag-gunther","tag-john-cena","tag-randy-orton","tag-sheamus"],"modified_by":"Steph Franchomme","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149220","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5707"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=149220"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149220\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":149234,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/149220\/revisions\/149234"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/149231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=149220"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=149220"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=149220"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}