John Cena's final match at WWE's Saturday Night's Main Event XLII was a blend of past, present, and future. Many stars and legends from the past appeared either live or in pre-taped segments.The Undertaker, Kane, and others thanked Cena via pre-recorded messages. Trish Stratus, Kurt Angle, RVD, Mark Henry, and others appeared live in the crowd at various points during the show.One huge name that was absent from the festivities was former Chairman Vince McMahon. McMahon didn't appear at Cena's retirement show for any of the next three reasons.#3. To avoid potential backlashVince McMahon may have created the current version of professional wrestling starting back in the 1980s, but things have changed vastly since then. He may have dominated the industry for nearly 40 years, but his time was up recently.Many fans respect his contribution and what he did to move the business forward each decade. Some of his actions behind the scenes, however, painted a different, unfavorable light on WWE's mastermind.From legal issues to poor treatment of many during his tenure, an appearance from McMahon would have made some fans and analysts upset.Keeping him away was a calculated move to avoid any potential backlash with his person despite his spot in the history of wrestling.#2. WWE legal could be against him making any TV appearancesDespite orchestrating the merger with UFC under the TKO banner, there wasn't a spot for Vinnie Mac in the current landscape of WWE.His booking and ideas may have worked 20 or even 10 years ago, but a lot has changed since he's been at the helm. His legal issues and lawsuits could have prevented him from appearing.The new version of the company probably didn't want any bad press coming out of Cena's retirement show. He hasn't been shown much on camera since his ouster and could be legally disallowed from showing up on TV.#1. A Vince McMahon appearance would steal the spotlight View this post on Instagram Instagram PostThe entire theme about John Cena's retirement match was about him hanging up the boots and paying it forward for the future of the business. The night was supposed to be about Cena and his accomplishments.Vince McMahon represents the past of the business, so an appearance would have been counterintuitive to the night's theme. Showing up would have also immediately taken away focus from Cena and the young stars competing all night.The former Chairman of the Board hasn't been seen on WWE programming in a few years, so doing so, even to congratulate Cena, would have stolen the focus from the 17-time champion.