WWE SmackDown results, review, grades: Gunther submits LA Knight, earns spot in John Cena's final match

Gunther won the 16-man tournament using a similar move to one of Cena's signature finishers

John Cena has his final opponent. After a yearlong retirement tour and a 16-man tournament to decide who he would stand across from in his finale, it is complete. Gunther will be the man who gets the chance to retire one of the legends of the industry at Saturday Night's Main Event on Dec. 13.

Gunther defeated LA Knight on Friday to earn the right to face Cena when he locked in a submission similar to that of Cena's STF. Gunther also has another retirement match on his resume in 2025 as he was the man to take down Goldberg in the legend's final match earlier this year.

Friday night SmackDown also featured an irate Cody Rhodes attacking Drew McIntyre and two champions in action.

CBS Sports was with you all night with results and reactions to all of the action from Moody Center in Austin, Texas.

Gunther wins 'The Last Time is Now' tournament

Both men cut strong promos before the match, stating their case as to why they should be the one to get to face Cena in his retirement match. 

Gunther def. LA Knight via submission. After numerous nearfalls, including Gunther hitting his powerbomb into pin and LA Knight a BFT into a pin, Gunther managed to put LA Knight in the middle of the ring and apply a submission that nearly replicated Cena's STF that he made famous throughout his career and forced his foe to tap out. As the show was going off the air, Gunther screamed into the camera "I hope you're paying attention! At Saturday Night's Main Event, you finally and definitely will give up!"

A solid show and main event where the correct person won to set up a great send off for Cena. A classic heel vs. face that should be a great pairing in Washington D.C. Grade: B+

What else happened on WWE SmackDown?

• Cody Rhodes attacked Drew McIntyre after McIntyre was not allowed to enter the building. An enraged Rhodes then made his way to the ring and said that McIntyre broke an unwritten rule of the road and attacked him in his bus. Rhodes called McIntyre WWE's resident cockroach and begged GM Nick Aldis to reinstate him so Rhodes can be the one to stomp him out.
• United States Championship -- Ilja Dragunov def. Carmelo Hayes via pinfall after hitting an H-bomb.
• Alexa Bliss def. Kairi Sane via pinfall with Sister Abigail. After the match, Nia Jax and Lash Legend attacked Bliss and Charlotte Flair. With Sane and Asuka down, the two then set their sights on their Survivor Series: WarGames' teammates. Jax set up Sane for an Annihilator before Asuka made the save. Jax and Legend held up the tag team titles in the ring.
• Jade Cargill def. Alba Fyre via pinfall with Jaded. Giulia and Kiana James attacked Chelsea Green at ringside, causing a distraction to Fyre.
• Solo Sikoa and the MFT addressed the attack from Uncle Howdy and the Wyatt Sicks last week. The factions then brawled with Talla Tonga and Erick Rowan squaring off in the ring.