Vince McMahon Paid $500k Due To John Cena WWE Match Breaking Curfew

Vince McMahon once paid $500,000 due to a John Cena WWE match going beyond curfew at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

With John Cena’s legendary WWE career soon wrapping up at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, one of his old rivals Nic Nemeth (fka Dolph Ziggler) appeared on KVIA ABC-7 and discussed one of his most cherished memories of his time working with the 17-time world champion.

Nemeth recalled a WWE live event at Madison Square Garden where he and Cena were headlining in a Steel Cage Match, however, by the time it got to the main event there was only eight minutes remaining on the show, a problem given that MSG charges half a million dollars if an event goes beyond its curfew:

“One of my absolute favorite matches I ever had with him was at Madison Square Garden in a Steel Cage, not televised, and here’s the best part. There is a curfew at MSG and if you don’t hit that curfew the bill becomes a half a million dollars more.

“Everyone at MSG gets excited and we’re excited to be there, and we’re down to the main event in a Steel Cage and we’re about to go out and there’s eight minutes till ‘hey after this there’s half a million dollars on Vince’s tab.'”

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Nemeth then recalled himself and Cena approaching Vince McMahon, who agreed that the match should still go ahead despite the financial cost:

“I’m like what are we doing we can’t short change these guys? He (Cena) goes ‘absolutely not we’re talking to the boss’. Boss goes ‘give them their money’s worth’. “We went out there for 30 minutes…

“…Those moments are the things that people don’t see on TV and that’s what makes it extra special to us behind the scenes.”

If you use this transcription or any portion of it please credit WrestleTalk.com and link to this page.

Cena has four dates remaining in his WWE Farewell Tour, with his next being the November 10 episode of WWE Raw in Boston, MA.

One week following that Cena will return to MSG one last time for the November 17 Raw, before appearing at WWE Survivor Series 2025 in San Diego, CA on November 19 and Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington D.C. on December 13.