John Cena’s Final Raw at Madison Square Garden: A Night of Emotion, Surprises, and New Beginnings

11/19/2025

By Ovi Muniz |

Madison Square Garden has hosted some of the greatest moments in WWE history — from Hulkamania to the rise of The Rock — but November 17, 2025 etched itself as one of the most emotional nights ever. This was the final Monday Night Raw performance for John Cena as an active competitor. WWE, the fans, and the entire arena delivered a send-off worthy of a global icon.

Using insights from both ESPN (Arda Ocal) and WrestleView, here is a full breakdown of everything that made Raw unforgettable.

⭐ A Farewell Fit for a Legend

Cena opened the show to a thunderous ovation at MSG. Fans knew they were witnessing history. Cena reflected on his career, his connection to the WWE Universe, and the honor of making his final Raw appearance in "the world's most famous arena."

The moment didn't stay quiet for long.
Dirty Dominik Mysterio stormed out, interrupting the celebration and demanding an immediate rematch for the Intercontinental Championship. Dominik had to be dragged away from the confrontation as Cena calmly accepted the match — set for Survivor Series: WarGames.

This laid the groundwork for one of the biggest heel-vs-legend confrontations in years.

🔥 Six-Man Tag Team Main Event Delivers the Fun

In what ESPN described as a "joyful, energetic" goodbye match, Cena teamed with Rey Mysterio and Sheamus to take on Judgment Day (Dominik, Finn Bálor, and JD McDonagh).

The match was everything it needed to be:

  • Signature moves

  • Hot tags

  • A classic Five Knuckle Shuffle

  • MSG crowd on their feet

Cena's team got the win, giving him a victorious and emotional Raw finale. It wasn't meant to be a dramatic farewell bout — it was meant to be fun, and it absolutely succeeded.

🎀 Maxxine Dupri Shocks the World

One of the most surprising moments of the night came when Maxxine Dupri defeated Becky Lynch to win the Women's Intercontinental Championship.

WrestleView reported the crowd's shock as Dupri earned the biggest win of her career. Becky Lynch, one of WWE's most decorated competitors, falling to Maxxine marks the beginning of a fascinating new chapter in the women's division.

🎯 Last Time Is Now Tournament Continues

Two major tournament matches rounded out the event:

  • Solo Sikoa defeated Dolph Ziggler

  • Gunther defeated Je'Von Evans

This sets up a heavyweight collision course as the tournament advances.

Gunther's win especially signals that the Ring General may be on another path toward gold soon.

💥 Chaos to Close the Show

The ending was classic WWE madness.
Multiple stars stormed the ring or made returns, including:

  • Brock Lesnar

  • Roman Reigns

  • CM Punk

  • Cody Rhodes

  • The Usos

  • And others

What began as a tense face-off became total chaos as rivalries collided, leaving fans with more questions than answers heading into Survivor Series.

🎤 Final Thoughts

This episode of Raw was more than a wrestling show — it was a tribute to one of the greatest careers ever. Cena's final Raw appearance mixed nostalgia with current storylines, big surprises, and major setup for future events.

MSG delivered magic once again.
Cena delivered gratitude and heart as always.
And WWE delivered a night fans will replay for years.

Whether you're a Cena fan or not, you can't deny one thing…
His time is almost up, but his impact will never fade.

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