{"id":145329,"date":"2025-11-05T07:00:40","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T12:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=145329"},"modified":"2025-11-05T01:07:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T06:07:27","slug":"predicting-the-entire-field-for-john-cena-the-last-time-is-now-tournament","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/11\/05\/predicting-the-entire-field-for-john-cena-the-last-time-is-now-tournament\/","title":{"rendered":"Predicting the Entire Field for John Cena &#8220;The Last Time is Now&#8221; Tournament"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With December 13 a little over a month away, WWE has begun building towards John Cena&#8217;s final match at WWE Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event in Washington, D.C. The identity of Cena&#8217;s final opponent has been a hotly debated topic since The Champ announced his farewell tour at Money in the Bank 2024.<\/p>\n<p>As announced by Cena, a 16-man tournament will be held to determine the 17-time World Champion&#8217;s final opponent. The tournament bracket will feature Superstars from RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and even people who don&#8217;t currently work for WWE.<\/p>\n<p>Adam Pearce has already announced two of the first-round matches of &#8220;The Last Time is Now&#8221; Tournament. Sheamus will battle Shinsuke Nakamura, while Damain Priest will face Rusev on the November 10th edition of RAW.<\/p>\n<p>With four stars already confirmed as participants, we predict the rest of the field in this listicle.<\/p>\n<h2>&#8220;Dirty&#8221; Dominik Mysterio<\/h2>\n<p>By now, most readers will have heard whispers of John Cena facing &#8220;Dirty&#8221; Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship at Survivor Series. If that is indeed WWE&#8217;s plan, putting Dom in the &#8220;Last Time in Now&#8221; Tournament doesn&#8217;t make much sense.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is worth noting that the Intercontinental Champion was featured in the taped footage of Cena announcing the 16-man tournament. Furthermore, an early exit for Dom can be used as a storytelling device to build towards a match with the Leader of The Cenation at Survivor Series.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"-3YtaLHTSdpthtojvSmtmA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2211193891\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'-3YtaLHTSdpthtojvSmtmA',sig:'axI7OP11G9FdODVxBwXKSnN8-W7Zm9zkbzVdGjcc61A=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'2211193891',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Rey Mysterio<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Speaking of Mysterios, WWE Hall of Famer Rey Mysterio returned on Monday Night RAW to confront his son. Triple H looks to be revisiting the father-son feud, but there could be ulterior motives.<\/p>\n<p>John Cena has faced Randy Orton, CM Punk, R Truth, Brock Lesnar, and AJ Styles. Rey Mysterio is one of the last remaining veterans who hasn&#8217;t battled Cena in his retirement tour. Granted, there isn&#8217;t much history between the two legends, but there is a ton of mutual respect.<\/p>\n<p>Rey could defeat Dom to progress further in &#8220;The Last Time is Now&#8221; Tournament, potentially setting up one last encounter with Cena, the man who snatched the WWE Championship away from him in the summer of 2011.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"qRI4-BAqTtJ-zarYcNvCyw\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/2144727240\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'qRI4-BAqTtJ-zarYcNvCyw',sig:'O-yzNfk4WOWXHtPt52A8uP9WCskhktR3CkazvRJdGCw=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'2144727240',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>The Miz<\/h2>\n<p>The Miz was also among the many veterans featured in Cena&#8217;s taped video footage. The Awesome One famously defeated John Cena in the main event of WrestleMania 27 and has a storied rivalry with the 17-time World Champion.<\/p>\n<p>They also met in a Mixed Tag Team Match at WrestleMania 33, where The Miz and Maryse teamed up in an unsuccessful attempt to humiliate John Cena and Nikki Bella. Given the history between the two veterans, the Awesome One is almost certain to participate in the tournament.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Carmelo Hayes<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;The Last Time is Now&#8221; Tournament can be used to elevate younger talent. Carmelo Hayes has been searching for a big break for quite some time, and a strong showing in the tournament could put the former NXT Champion on the map.<\/p>\n<p>Hayes also has a simmering rivalry with The Miz, and they could potentially meet early in the tournament. In this way, Triple H could further the storyline between the two SmackDown stars and give Hayes some much-needed screentime.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Axiom vs. Carmelo Hayes: WWE Main Event, Aug. 16, 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sZNUPlEDLr0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>LA Knight<\/h2>\n<p>LA Knight is on the cusp of breaking into the main event scene. For months, he has relentlessly chased the World Heavyweight Championship, only to be held back by The Vision.<\/p>\n<p>Facing John Cena in his final match would do wonders for Knight&#8217;s career. They had a brief alliance in late 2023; Cena and Knight teamed up to defeat Solo Sikoa and Jimmy Uso at Fastlane 2023. The Champ was also instrumental in getting Knight a title shot against Roman Reigns, who held the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at the time.<\/p>\n<p>John Cena vs. LA Knight is a dream match for many fans. At the very least, it should be teased by putting the Megastar in &#8220;The Last Time is Now&#8221; Tournament.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: John Cena &amp; LA Knight vs. The Bloodline: WWE Fastlane 2023\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gqYZQmkej2Q?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Drew McIntyre<\/h2>\n<p>If WWE wants to create a major supervillain, having Drew McIntyre defeat John Cena in the latter&#8217;s final match would be the way to go. The Scottish Warrior has done some of the best work of his career in recent months, and it&#8217;s time for WWE to launch him into the stratosphere.<\/p>\n<p>McIntyre recently came off a significant loss to Cody Rhodes at Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event. He would want to regain momentum and get his career back on track. Putting his WWE Championship pursuits on hold and entering &#8220;The Last Time is Now&#8221; Tournament to retire John Cena would be the ideal way to build his case.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH - Finn B\u00e1lor vs. John Cena vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Baron Corbin: Raw, January 14, 2019\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/FObhqRjcuH4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>&#8220;Big&#8221; Bronson Reed<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;Big&#8221; Bronson Reed has been on a roll. He achieved the rare feat of pinning Roman Reigns, one of the most protected assets in the industry, at Crown Jewel in Australia. Reed has been built as a monster, and Triple H may have big plans in store for him.<\/p>\n<p>In a bid to continue his good fortune and wreak more havoc, the Auszilla could enter &#8220;The Last Time is Now&#8221; Tournament. Reed also expressed interest in facing John Cena. As some fans may recall, Cena also laid out Reed with an Attitude Adjustment at Night of Champions 2025 when The Vision interfered in The Champ&#8217;s match against CM Punk.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Bronson Reed&#39;s message to John Cena on Instagram: <a  href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YUd1NLVFYK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/YUd1NLVFYK<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; WrestleSD (@wrestle_sd) <a  href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/wrestle_sd\/status\/1940844002221477999?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">July 3, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Penta<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;The Last Time is Now&#8221; Tournament needs to feel exciting. Thus, Triple H will need to put in hot acts in the tournament bracket to pique interest amongst fans. Enter Penta, one of the most captivating and over Superstars on the main roster.<\/p>\n<p>Cero Miedo would inject a shot of excitement and adrenaline into the tournament. It&#8217;s difficult to see him facing John Cena in the legend&#8217;s final match, but that doesn&#8217;t mean WWE shouldn&#8217;t include him in the field, especially when he has so much to offer in the ring.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Penta earns big win against El Grande Americano: Raw highlights, Nov. 3, 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/KTMzjQBzQCM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Oba Femi<\/h2>\n<p>John Cena clearly stated that a rising Superstar from NXT could earn the right to become his final opponent on December 13. For casual fans, the name of Oba Femi immediately comes to mind.<\/p>\n<p>The Ruler has an intimidating presence and brings an X factor into the equation. He has dominated NXT for years, and a main roster call-up is inevitable. He may not be a prime contender to win the tournament, but participation would certainly enhance his portfolio.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: Femi vs. Dijak vs. Briggs \u2013 NXT North American Title Match: NXT Stand &amp; Deliver 2024\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EzH8Po2E5xU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Joe Hendry<\/h2>\n<p>The Greatest of All Time also mentioned that some competitors may not necessarily work for WWE. Fans assumed that John Cena was referring to Edge, who currently works for AEW as Cope. However, that seems like an impossible scenario.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, a TNA talent could feature prominently in &#8220;The Last Time is Now&#8221; Tournament. WWE has chased viral moments in 2025, and Joe Hendry remains one of the most viral Superstars in recent memory with a strong social media presence.<\/p>\n<p>He has already appeared in the 2025 Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble match and faced Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41. So, it wouldn&#8217;t be too far-fetched to say that he could enter the tournament.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"SAY HIS NAME: Joe Hendry appears at the Royal Rumble: Royal Rumble 2025 highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/WzjxlySRBdU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Jeff Hardy<\/h2>\n<p>Onto more TNA talents, The Hardy Boyz recently made a comeback to NXT. Matt and Jeff have also been spotted as crowd attendees during WWE PLEs. Jeff is also keen to return to the Stamford-based promotion for one final run as a singles run.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, the Charismatic Enigma could be another TNA import who could be borrowed for a match or two to fill the field for &#8220;The Last Time is Now&#8221; Tournament. In 2009, Jeff Hardy and John Cena were among the top merchandise sellers in WWE. They never got to have a legitimate feud. Perhaps, this could be a good opportunity to explore that angle.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"FULL MATCH: The Hardy Boyz vs. DarkState | Winner Take All Match: NXT Showdown, Oct. 7, 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9XCyhLMLOGY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<h2>Gunther<\/h2>\n<p>It&#8217;s been widely reported that Gunther is WWE&#8217;s top choice to face John Cena on December 13. The Ring General has made a career out of berating and dismantling legends. Bullying Cena in his final match fits Gunther&#8217;s character arc pretty nicely.<\/p>\n<p>The longest reigning Intercontinental Champion has already retired Goldberg earlier this year. He could break hearts yet again by putting John Cena to sleep in The Champ&#8217;s last match.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_144643\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-144643\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-144643 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/10\/Gunther_2024-1-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"A graphic of Gunther, one of the greatest WWE Renaissance era heels.\" width=\"640\" height=\"335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/10\/Gunther_2024-1-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/10\/Gunther_2024-1-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/10\/Gunther_2024-1-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/10\/Gunther_2024-1-1536x804.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/10\/Gunther_2024-1-2048x1072.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-144643\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: By <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=148318186\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carter Sterling<\/a> &#8211; https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/188354731@N05\/53690306604\/, CC BY-SA 2.0,<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong><b>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><i>Header photo \u2013 <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/Category:Drew_Galloway#\/media\/File:BTM,_WrestleMania_XL.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">WikiMedia Creative Commons<\/a> \u2013 Stay tuned to the <\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/\" target=\"_self\"><em><u><i>Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i> for more on the John Cena &#8220;The Last Time Is Now&#8217; Tournament and other news 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.<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n<p><em><i>You can check out WWE programming on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.netflix.com\/title\/81788927\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Netflix<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(Raw),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.usanetwork.com\/wwe-friday-night-smackdown\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>USA Network<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(SmackDown),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cwtv.com\/shows\/wwe-nxt\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>The CW<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(NXT),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/tubitv.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Tubi<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Evolve),\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aetv.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>A&amp;E<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Superstar Sunday \u2013 Rivals, WWE LFG, and Greatest Moments), and\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.peacocktv.com\/watch\/home\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>Peacock<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>\u00a0(WWE Main Event as well as archives and premium live event streaming). Follow WWE on social media to relive top moments and matches on\u00a0<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/wwe\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>YouTube<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>, and catch fast-paced action on X (<\/i><\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/i\/events\/1773457579022155776?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em><u><i>WWE Speed<\/i><\/u><\/em><\/a><em><i>).<\/i><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>With December 13 a little over a month away, WWE has begun building towards John Cena&#8217;s final match at WWE Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event in Washington, D.C. The identity of Cena&#8217;s final opponent has been a hotly debated topic since The Champ announced his farewell tour at Money in the Bank 2024. As announced by [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5689,"featured_media":145375,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6,2192,25,26,8959,4,5,3],"tags":[165],"class_list":["post-145329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-north-america","category-wrestling","category-raw","category-smackdown","category-tna-wrestling","category-wwe","category-nxt","category-wwe-universe","tag-john-cena"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=145329"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":145376,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/145329\/revisions\/145376"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/145375"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=145329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=145329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=145329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}