4 Things WWE shouldn’t do at Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII

WWE Saturday Night's Main Event (SNME) XLII is expected to be a memorable event. It's John Cena's last gig inside a wrestling ring. The 17-time Champion will square off against Gunther in the main event of the show.

Besides Cena's match, the night will also feature two exhibition matches where superstars from NXT will face WWE superstars. Bayley will take on Sol Ruca in a one-on-one match, while the newly crowned NXT Champion, Oba Femi, will take on Undisputed Champion, Cody Rhodes, in a match.

So far, these three matches have been announced for SNME. On this week's episode of RAW and SmackDown, two more matches could be added to the match card.

In this listicle, we will discuss four things WWE shouldn't do at SNME.

#4 John Cena shouldn't tap out to Gunther

Gunther has been taking out many superstars lately with his submission lock, but that shouldn't be the case with Cena. Even if Cena were to lose this match, it should be after a Powerbomb, and not after a submission.

A defeat after submission would severely hit Cena's credibility in WWE. He is a WWE icon and a 17-time Champion. His in-ring skills are inarguably even better than Gunther's. At the age of 48, he has put up a good performance in this retirement tour, which includes a mind-blowing match against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam and against AJ Styles at Crown Jewel.

His fans would be disappointed if Cena taps out to Gunther's submission lock. They are already angry over The Champ's squash match against Brock Lesnar. Therefore, WWE shouldn't book Cena's loss after a tapout. The company booked Goldberg's retirement match against Gunther similarly.

The Hall of Famer had passed out after Ring General's submission lock, and that was a terrible booking. This shouldn't happen with John Cena. He should be allowed to retire with grace and his head held high.

#3 Bayley shouldn't beat Sol Ruca

Bayley will get inside the ring with Sol Ruca for a one-on-one match. The two had a face-off on SmackDown this week, where Bayley tried to psychologically outsmart Sol Ruca, saying that competing on RAW and SmackDown is altogether a different thing.

Even though Bayley is a four-time women's champion and much experienced wrestler, she shouldn't be beating Sol Ruca. That would be a poor booking, looking at the future of the careers of both superstars.

Bayley is already past her prime, and if she defeats Sol Ruca, that could dent Sol Ruca's career. She is yet to make a main roster debut, and a defeat before that at the hands of a former women's champion will not do her any good. Instead, Bayley should put over her NXT opponent and pave the way for her on the main roster.

#2 Former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon and United States of America, President, Donald Trump, shouldn't appear

There are rumors that former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon might return to the company for Cena's last match. Vince McMahon is instrumental in steering John Cena's career. However, McMahon's return could tremendously harm the company's business at the moment if he comes back.

He faces serious allegations of harassment in the Janel Grant lawsuit. The matter is subjudice, and the courts haven't exonerated him from all the charges. His presence at SNME could disappoint the fans, which in the long term could impact the company's business and even damage TKO's reputation.

Similarly, there are rumors that US President Donald Trump could also make an appearance at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. Logan Paul has hinted that the fans could see Trump in the building. Speaking to Fox News, some time back, Paul stated that he and his friends had discussed it, and even though he doesn't have any information about it, there is a faint possibility of Trump showing up.

However, this should be another thing the company shouldn't be doing. Although Trump has made a previous appearance (WrestleMania 23), that was in the capacity of a businessman.

Today, he is the President of the United States of America, and his appearance could be perceived wrongly. WWE should stay away from politics at the moment since it could backfire. Late WWE legend, Hulk Hogan, had to bear the brunt of his political leanings when he arrived on WWE's debut episode on Netflix on January 6, 2025 this year. Trump's presence could do similar damage. Therefore, Triple H shouldn't book Donald Trump's presence at SNME after John Cena.

#1 Oba Femi shouldn't beat Cody Rhodes

Oba Femi won the NXT Championship back from Ricky Saints at the NXT Deadline event. He has now earned the opportunity to fight Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes at SNME.

Rhodes, however, is also entangled in a rivalry with Drew McIntyre. Although the Scottish Warrior is suspended at the moment, there are huge chances that he will spoil Cody's match against Oba Femi. And as a result, the NXT Champion can walk out with a win.

WWE shouldn't go with this booking because if Cody loses to an NXT superstar, that would seriously harm his credibility. A WWE Champion shouldn't be losing to an NXT Champion. That's not just terrible but a foolish booking.

Since the Nigerian Giant is already a champion, he is certainly not going to make a move to the main roster. Instead, we could see Ricky Saints jumping the ship to RAW now. Therefore, Cody's loss at the hands of Oba Femi would not make any sense.