After an exciting match against AJ Styles at the WWE Crown Jewel premium live event, fans are wondering what’s next for John Cena. The Cenation Leader has a handful of dates before his retirement in December later this year, but there are still a few matchups fans would love to see him take part in.
With the way Triple H and Co. have handled Cena’s retirement tour so far, it doesn’t seem like the company planned ahead for how they’re going to give him a proper send-off. His retirement match will happen in two months, but so far, fans know little to nothing about his final match. The latest rumor suggests Gunther will be the one to face Cena on Saturday Night Main Event in Washington, DC, but there are other names who could potentially be better opponents than him.
Gunther will reportedly be John Cena’s final opponent.
WWE is reportedly planning a tournament with the winning prize being John Cena’s final opponent.
(Source: Wrestling Observer) pic.twitter.com/jXU41uxu5g
— Cultaholic Wrestling (@Cultaholic) October 7, 2025
Dominik Mysterio
Dominik Mysterio will inevitably retire his father, Rey Mysterio, at some point in his career. Rey is a beloved character within the WWE Universe, and there’s currently no one better suited for this role. However, it doesn’t mean Dominik can’t face other big stars and potentially even be their final opponent.
He’s put in a lot of effort over the past few years to improve his work, and putting him up against Cena would be a great way to give him nuclear heat.
Bron Breakker
Bron Breakker vs. John Cena would be another fun match, but Breakker doesn’t want it to happen. Now, it’s simply because Breakker doesn’t think Cena could manage to survive a match against him. While speaking with Muscle Man Malcolm’s Muscle Memory podcast, Breakker said:
“I just don’t think it’s very wise for John Cena. A lot of things have changed since SummerSlam. I know this is his farewell tour, and everyone’s celebrating the last year of John Cena, but if he wants to make it to the end of that year or make it to the end of this run, he probably should just stay away from me.” (H/T SEScoops)
One could say Breakker needs this match more than other wrestlers mentioned here, but then again, there’s no reason (storyline-wise) for Breakker and Cena to fight. They could always do a one-on-one matchup between them (like they did with Austin Theory) but that wouldn’t really benefit anyone because there’s no story.
Drew McIntyre
It’s surprising that John Cena and Drew McIntyre have never faced each other in a singles match to date. Last year, McIntyre did say he’d try to set up a match between them, but so far, nothing has happened.
The Scottish Warrior doesn’t need the rub from Cena anymore, but he’s one of the best wrestlers out there, and there’s no doubt he will be a menacing heel against Cena and will certainly make his final storyline a must-see.
Edge
This is perhaps the unlikeliest scenario to happen in WWE. But it’s also a match that fans want to see the most. The Rated R Superstar has a long history with Cena, and was one of his best rivals in the mid-2000s. Some reports say that Edge’s AEW contract is coming up this month, and if this is true, then he could probably jump ship to WWE again and face Cena.
Although Edge has suggested that his AEW deal expires in 2026 instead of this year, during an appearance on First Up with Korolnek & Colaiacovo. So there’s a slim chance WWE and AEW could partner up and loan Edge for one final match against John Cena.
The Rock
WWE never really had a payoff to the whole John Cena joining The Final Boss saga they did earlier this year. No, really, why did Cena turn heel to help The Rock? There’s still time to return to this story, and if it could end with a match between these two, then fans would probably stop complaining about it.
The Rock and John Cena had a legendary rivalry over 15 years ago, and they could very well recreate the magic again in 2025. Both stars have a long history with each other, and fans also wouldn’t mind if they got to see them tussle it out in the ring one last time. This is the kind of big match that Cena needs to end his career with.
More From LWOS Pro Wrestling
Header photo – WikiMedia Creative Commons – Stay tuned to the Last Word on Pro Wrestling for more on the WWE Crown Jewel Perth, Cody Rhodes, Seth Rollins, and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world, as well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.
You can check out WWE programming on Netflix (Raw), USA Network (SmackDown), The CW (NXT), Tubi (WWE Evolve), A&E (WWE Superstar Sunday – Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and Peacock (WWE Main Event, as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on YouTube, and catch fast-paced action on X (WWE Speed).
