John Cena retiring next year; who should his final opponent be?

Last Updated on July 11, 2024

John Cena’s catchphrase, “You can’t see me!”, will soon enough be a reality, as the WWE legend announced his retirement at this weekend’s Money in the Bank. During Saturday’s event, a special moment was given to Cena – who wasn’t expected to be in attendance – so he could tell the crowd when his final five-knuckle shuffle would be coming.

Coming out to his iconic theme and carrying a towel that read “The Last Time Is Now”, John Cena took to the ring, giving an emotional and passionate speech in which he outlined his future plans. “The 2025 Royal Rumble will be my last. The 2025 Elimination Chamber will be my last. And I’m here tonight to announce that in Las Vegas, Wrestlemania 2025 will be the last Wrestlemania I compete in.” While he didn’t explicitly say that Wrestlemania 41 – slated for April 19th and 20th – would be his last match ever, it’s the perfect place for a retirement match and so it’s probably safe to assume that will be in.

This would fall in line with a number of other wrestlers who have hung up their boots at Wrestlemania: The Undertaker’s Boneyard Match against AJ Styles at Wrestlemania 36; Kurt Angle dropping to Baron Corbin at Wrestlemania 35; and Ric Flair’s farewell courtesy of Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XXIV.

And while Flair just can’t stay out of the squared circle, John Cena is assuring fans that once he exits the ring, that’s it, confirming in a post-event press conference, “People say they’re walking away, and two years later they come back. I want to set the record straight right now, I’m done. This is it. If you ever wanted to be a part of this one last time, we’re going to do it as big as we can and we’re fighting everybody and we hope you come enjoy the fun.”

So, who will John Cena face in his final match? There will be a lot of build-up as he launches his farewell tour next year, leading to a lot of options. Will he have one final showdown with a longtime rival like Randy Orton? Will he take on another legend he has yet to face? Will he give a rising star a huge push? One throwback option could be to mirror his first televised match, in which he accepted an open challenge from Kurt Angle. While he lost, it became a landmark moment in his career.

Who do you want to see John Cena face in his final match? Book your dream match and let us know the result!