The moment John Cena smiled and tapped to Gunther split the fanbase in two. We go beyond the finish to ask a bigger question: did WWE earn that ending, or did they skip the story that would have made it sting in the right way? We sketch the simple month-long build that could have turned a polarizing tap into a legendary farewell—public choke-outs, relentless promos, and a final match where inevitability felt earned and both men left larger. From there, we widen the lens to a year that’s been...