We’ve had months to come to terms with the news, but it still doesn’t get any easier to stomach. On December 13, at Saturday Night’s Main Event in the nation’s capital of Washington, D.C, John Cena’s long and illustrious 26-year career comes to an end. ‘The Last Time Is Now’ finally rings true, and millions of wrestling fans around the world will be tuning in to the momentous occasion.
It's amazing to think that we first saw John Cena compete in his debut WWF/WWE fight under the nickname ‘The Prototype’, way back in October 2000. Fast forward to this coming Saturday and the 17-time world champ collides with ‘The Ring General’, Gunther, in his last ever contest. Gunther claimed his spot in the mega clash, which will go down in WWE folklore, by winning the ‘Last Time Is Now Tournament’ Final. The Austrian annihilator saw off challenges from Je'Von Evans, Carmelo Hayes, Solo Sikoa, and LA Knight along the way.
Last time we saw Cena, he looked shocked and bemused on the canvas at Petco Park in San Diego after losing his Intercontinental belt to ‘Dirty’ Dom Mysterio following an intervention from his love interest, Liv Morgan, at Survivor Series: WarGames at the end of November. It’s not the image that he’ll want the millions of his adoring fans to remember him by, so he’ll be desperate to finish with a flourish and go out on a high.
WWE
Saturday Night's Main Event originally hit our screens in 1985, replacing Saturday Night Live in its late time slot on several occasions throughout the year. It proved to be a huge hit during its early days, and ratings soared, with popular wrestling greats such as Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior making regular appearances. Flagging interest brought an end to the initial broadcast run in 1992, but the format would be revived for five shows between 2006 and 2008, with stars such as John Cena, Triple H, Batista, and Edge entertaining the masses.
As part of a 5-year agreement with NBC, which saw WWE SmackDown switch from Fox to USA Network, it was announced that Saturday Night's Main Event would return once again for a third run and air quarterly, starting with the December show last year.
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John Cena’s wish to have wrestlers from the developmental brand of WWE, NXT, involved in the qualifying tournament was granted, and that’s been carried forward to the SNME card too. Away from the feature, we’ve got the likes of Cody Rhodes taking on the current NXT champion, Oba Femi, and Bayley is set to go toe-to-toe with Sol Ruca, the former NXT Women's North American Championship belt holder.
Let GOAL show you everything you need to know about how to watch the upcoming WWE Saturday Night's Main Event, including the event card, timings, and streaming links.
When is WWE Saturday Night's Main Event XLII?
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event XLII takes place on Saturday, December 13. It airs as follows around the globe (times are approx):
| Country | Show starts |
|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | 8 pm ET |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1 am GMT (Sunday) |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | 11 am AEST (Sunday) |
| 🇮🇳 India | 6:30am IST (Sunday) |
| 🇯🇵 Japan | 10 am JST (Sunday) |
| 🇲🇽 Mexico | 7 pm CDMX |
Where is WWE Saturday Night's Main Event XLII held?
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Capital One Arena is an indoor arena in Washington, D.C, which sits atop the Gallery Place rapid transit station of the Washington Metro. The venue was opened in 1997, but was renamed to the Capital One Arena in 2017 when Capital One Bank purchased the naming rights. It has had many tenants since opening its doors, two of the most notable being the NBA's Washington Wizards and the NHL's Washington Capitals.
Various combat sports have been staged at the Capital One Arena over the years. As well as holding Mike Tyson's final 'non-exhibition' fight (vs Kevin McBride) in June 2005, MMA fans will recall that UFC Live: Cruz vs. Johnson and UFC on ESPN: Overeem vs. Rozenstruik both took place there, in 2011 and 2019, respectively. The world's best wrestlers also came to town in 2011, with John Cena, Rey Mysterio, CM Punk, and Randy Orton all starring at WWE Capitol Punishment.
🇺🇸 How to watch WWE Saturday Night's Main Event XLII in the US
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event will be streamed live on Peacock in the United States. You’ll only need Peacock Premium to catch all the action, which costs $10.99 per month (or $109.99 annually).
Another great streaming service that will let you watch the show live is fubo. Fubo offers multiple subscription plans, including the new 'Fubo Sports', which costs $45.99 for the first month and then $55.99 per month for subsequent months. It's streamlined and sports-focused with over 28 channels, including ESPN Unlimited, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, NFL Network, Tennis Channel, and local networks like ABC, CBS, and Fox. Other Fubo plans include the base 'Pro' package (around $85/month), the higher-tier 'Elite' (around $95/month), and there's also a 'Latino' package, which offers sports and entertainment channels in Spanish. Fubo offers a free 7-day trial to new subscribers for all of its plans, and the streaming service is a no-brainer for sports fans.
🌎 How to watch WWE Saturday Night's Main Event XLII worldwide
International fans can watch the event on the official WWE YouTube channel. This global streaming option allows viewers outside the United States to enjoy the spectacle for free, bringing John Cena’s farewell performance to a worldwide audience.
How to watch WWE Saturday Night's Main Event XLII from anywhere with a VPN
If WWE Saturday Night's Main Event XLII isn't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection that lets you bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere.
We recommend ExpressVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
How to get WWE Saturday Night's Main Event XLII tickets
Demand for WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII tickets is high, as it is for all WWE events, but seats are still available, with prices ranging from $282 - $3700 on the official WWE site. While the official ticket portal is the safest way for fans to purchase WWE tickets, those eager to go to Washington, D.C, may also wish to consider secondary resale sites such as StubHub, which could give them the best opportunity of obtaining tickets. Tickets are currently available for $313.
WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII match card
| Bout | Fight |
|---|---|
| Men's Singles match | John Cena vs Gunther |
| Men's Singles match | Cody Rhodes vs Oba Femi |
| Women's Singles match | Bayley vs Sol Ruca |
| Men's Tag-Team match | AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs Je'Von Evans & Leon Slater |
Main match storylines
John Cena vs Gunther
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In the same month (August), John Cena lost the Undisputed WWE Championship belt to Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam, it was officially announced that Cena's last ever match would take place at Saturday Night's Main Event XLII in December. On the previous Saturday Night's Main Event show at the start of November, it was decided that Cena's final opponent would be the winner of the 'Last Time Is Now Tournament'.
The 16-man knockout contest kicked off on the November 10 episode of Raw in Boston, Massachusetts (near Cena's hometown). Gunther would be victorious in the tournament, beating LA Knight in the final, screened on SmackDown (December 5). The former World Heavyweight Champion and the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion of all-time will be a difficult opponent for Cena and one that he’s never faced before in the ring.
Cody Rhodes vs Oba Femi
WWE
Cody Rhodes has been raging following his team’s defeat at Survivor Series: Wargames, which further intensified his rivalry against Drew McIntyre. Despite his frustrations, ‘The American Nightmare’ has always held John Cena in high regard, and he wanted to honour the great man’s wishes by taking on one of the grappling stars from the NXT promotion. That NXT star will be Oba Femi, who reclaimed his NXT Championship belt from Ricky Saints at ‘Deadline’ at the weekend. In addition to winning the belt, he also booked himself a place at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
Bayley vs Sol Ruca
WWE
We’ve not seen Bayley, one of the most experienced women’s wrestlers on the WWE circuit, in ring action since she (and Lyra Valkyria) lost a tag team match against The Kabuki Warriors on an episode of RAW, at the start of November. Bayley has been there, done it, and got the T-shirt, having won the following accolades (amongst many others): WWE (Raw) Women's Champion, WWE SmackDown Women's Champion, WWE Women's Tag Team Champion, and NXT Women's Champion. Having honed her skills in NXT, Bayley will have plenty of respect for Sol Ruca, who reigned supreme for 189 days as the NXT Women's North American champion earlier this year.
AJ Styles & Dragon Lee vs Je'Von Evans & Leon Slater
WWE
WWE Men's World Tag Team champions, AJ Styles and Dragon Lee, will put their championships on the line against NXT's high flyers Je'Von Evans and Leon Slater. TNA X Division Champion, Slater teams up with Evans, who took part in the John Cena last-time is now tournament against the finalists, Gunther. Styles and Lee attained the Tag-Team Championships when they beat the Irish duo and members of The Judgement Day - Finn Balor and JD McDonagh.