{"id":146667,"date":"2025-11-21T08:00:51","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T13:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=146667"},"modified":"2025-11-21T00:26:19","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T05:26:19","slug":"5-better-opponents-than-dominik-mysterio-for-john-cena-at-wwe-survivor-series-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/11\/21\/5-better-opponents-than-dominik-mysterio-for-john-cena-at-wwe-survivor-series-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"5 &#8220;Better Opponents&#8221; than Dominik Mysterio for John Cena at WWE Survivor Series 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>With John Cena&#8217;s final RAW appearance done and dusted, only two dates remain in the Never Seen 17&#8217;s farewell tour: Survivor Series and Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event. His opponent for Survivor Series has been announced.<\/p>\n<p>Cena will face Dominik Mysterio in a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship. The Champ defeated Dom in his hometown to win the IC Title, and Dom wants to return the favor by reclaiming the title on his turf. However, WWE could have done better than simply booking a standard rematch.<\/p>\n<p>It feels forced and unnecessary. WWE has a loaded roster hungry with top talent. All of them would love to share the ring with Cena, and some would have proved better opponents than Dominik Mysterio.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>#5. Sheamus Could Have Beaten John Cena to Become WWEGrand Slam Champion Himself<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Sheamus is a future first ballot Hall of Famer, but he has a missing piece on his impressive resume. The prestigious Intercontinental Championship has eluded the Celtic Warrior, keeping him away from the elite club of Grand Slam Champions.<\/p>\n<p>The Celtic Warrior has a storied rivalry with John Cena, who coincidentally holds the IC Title. Who could ever forget a young Sheamus putting Cena through a table at TLC 2009 to win the WWE Championship? Just as he defeated Cena to win his first World Title, the Irishman should have defeated The Champ to win his first IC Championship.<\/p>\n<p>However, Sheamus is a participant in the Last Time in Now Tournament and has already progressed to the second round. Thus, it would have been difficult to insert him into a title feud with Cena when he hadn&#8217;t been eliminated.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John Cena leads a Six-Man Tag Team victory over The Judgment Day: Raw highlights, Nov. 17, 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ODatnRJoJR4?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><strong>#4. Rey Mysterio Would have Been a Fun Opponent for Cena<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Many fans would agree that John Cena is facing the wrong Mysterio at Survivor Series: WarGames. Cena has already battled and defeated &#8220;Dirty&#8221; Dominik Mysterio in his farewell, but the same cannot be said for Dom&#8217;s &#8220;deadbeat&#8221; dad.<\/p>\n<p>The Hall of Famer is at a stage in his career where he doesn&#8217;t need the Intercontinental Championship. However, the latter part of Cena&#8217;s farewell tour, i.e., since his babyface turn, has been a love letter to professional wrestling. He could have continued that narrative with a banger with Rey Mysterio.<\/p>\n<p>Having two of the most lovable, respected, and celebrated WWE Superstars fight each other one last time in San Diego would have certainly put a smile on everyone&#8217;s face.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"John Cena shares a special moment with Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes amid celebration: Raw highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/g9jAdepLh4g?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<h2>\u00a0#<strong>3. Joe Hendry Surprising Cena Would Have Gone Viral<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>WWE loves viral moments, and Joe Hendry is one of the most viral Superstars in recent memory. This explains the sporadic appearances Hendry has made on the main roster. The former TNA Champion was a surprise entrant in the 2025 Men&#8217;s Royal Rumble match, and was Randy Orton&#8217;s mystery opponent at WrestleMania 41.<\/p>\n<p>Thus, Hendry facing Cena in one of the latter&#8217;s final matches was a strong possibility, especially with rumors of the viral sensation signing a contract with WWE. The setup for this match would have been straightforward because it doesn&#8217;t need a build.<\/p>\n<p>John Cena could have issued an open challenge at Survivor Series, and Joe Hendry&#8217;s iconic theme song would have played. This would have sent the crowd into a frenzy and created a special moment.<\/p>\n<p><!--nextpage--><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"TNA World Champion Joe Hendry answers Randy Orton\u2019s challenge: WrestleMania 41 Sunday highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/E6GG_j3PDVA?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><strong>#2. Dolph Ziggler Could have Renewed his rivalry with John Cena<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Dolph Ziggler made his sensational return to RAW inside Madison Square Garden this past week. Ziggler was Solo Sikoa&#8217;s mystery opponent in a first-round match of The Last Time is Now Tournament. However, considering the reaction he received, The Showoff could have been saved for a bigger occasion.<\/p>\n<p>Fans often forget that Ziggler owns a win over Cena, as he defeated The Champ in a ladder match back at TLC 2012. Vickie Guerreo and Dolph Ziggler were consistent victims of John Cena&#8217;s hilarious insults. Thus, this was a rivalry worth revisiting, and it carried a shock factor, too.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Dolph Ziggler RETURNS to face Solo Sikoa in The Last Time is Now Tournament: Raw highlights\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/qMPzyQ80LBc?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><strong>#1. Oba Femi: Could have Dethroned John Cena, Winning Intercontinental Championship In Huge Main Roster Debut<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>John Cena has made it clear that he wants to leave something behind for the fans, which explains his decision to suggest a unique series of matches between NXT talent and main roster Superstars at Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event.<\/p>\n<p>However, what if Cena could personally put over an NXT star on his way out? Oba Femi is one of the most intimidating men in pro wrestling today and clearly has a bright future ahead of him. The Ruler has dominated the developmental brand for years, and it&#8217;s time for bigger and better things.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_142964\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-142964\" style=\"width: 230px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-142964 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/09\/Oba_Femi_2024-230x300.jpg\" alt=\"A photo of WWE NXT star Oba Femi.\" width=\"230\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/09\/Oba_Femi_2024-230x300.jpg 230w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/09\/Oba_Femi_2024-784x1024.jpg 784w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/09\/Oba_Femi_2024-768x1003.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/09\/Oba_Femi_2024-1176x1536.jpg 1176w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2025\/09\/Oba_Femi_2024.jpg 1513w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 230px) 100vw, 230px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-142964\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo Credit: By <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Oba_Femi_2024.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jonathan Rivera<\/a> &#8211; https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/202897796@N07\/54556546687\/, CC BY 2.0,<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Destroying and defeating Cena on debut at Survivor Series, which is notorious for earth-shattering debuts, would have sent a clear message to the entire locker room.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"EXCLUSIVE: Oba Femi returns to NXT and stares down Ricky Saints: NXT highlights, Nov. 11, 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/vZ46S94yj-M?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><strong><b>More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/b><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em><i>Header photo \u2013 WWE \u2013 Stay tuned to the\u00a0<\/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 John Cena 2 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 John Cena&#8217;s final RAW appearance done and dusted, only two dates remain in the Never Seen 17&#8217;s farewell tour: Survivor Series and Saturday Night&#8217;s Main Event. His opponent for Survivor Series has been announced. Cena will face Dominik Mysterio in a rematch for the Intercontinental Championship. The Champ defeated Dom in his hometown to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5689,"featured_media":146692,"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":[2192,4,3],"tags":[165],"class_list":["post-146667","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wrestling","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-john-cena"],"modified_by":"Michael Joseph Sugue, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146667","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=146667"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146667\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":146693,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/146667\/revisions\/146693"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/146692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=146667"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=146667"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=146667"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}