The cracks in John Cena's armor are already hinting at WWE's endgame
The biggest thing to remember is that Cena, as a babyface, hasn't won a one-on-one match since beating Triple H at the Greatest Royal Rumble in April 2018.
It led to that character wondering if he was still good enough, if he had anything left.
He went to WrestleMania 34 as a fan and lost to an aging Undertaker. Cena then lost to rising stars such as Austin Theory at WrestleMania 39 and Solo Sikoa at Crown Jewel in 2023 in the match that was framed as the one that would end his losing streak.
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Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
John Cena Reveals One Thing He Never Did In WWE
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. As he embarks on the final months of his legendary career, John Cena has reiterated his long-standing professional philosophy. In a new interview, the 17-time world champion claimed that in his 23 years with WWE, he has "never once chosen his opponent." The comments come just over a week after the shocking return of Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam. Lesnar attacked Cena, setting the stage for a massive final chapter in their historic rivalry. John Cena "I've Never Once Chosen My Opponent" Speaking with Justin Barrasso of The Boston Herald, Cena was asked about the possibility of Brock Lesnar being one of his final opponents. He used the opportunity to explain his career-long mindset. "I've been doing this for 23 years, and I've never once chosen my opponent," Cena said. "I've always lived by the philosophy that life will give you opportunities every single day, and you have to do the best you can every single day with what life gives you. So whoever challenges me for that last match, I'm going to give it my best shot." Cena's humble statement directly contradicts comments made by WWE's Chief Content Officer, Triple H. At the post-SummerSlam press conference, Triple H himself stated that Brock Lesnar's controversial return was at the top of "John Cena's wishlist" for his 2025 farewell tour. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 13: John Cena attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Amazon MGM Studios "Jackpot" at TCL Chinese Theatre on August 13, 2024 in Hollywood, California. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 13: John Cena attends the Los Angeles Premiere of Amazon MGM Studios "Jackpot" at TCL Chinese Theatre on August 13, 2024 in Hollywood, California. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic/Getty Images More news: WWE Superstar Announces Retirement Match This has created a fascinating "he said, he said" situation. Is Cena simply being the ultimate professional and maintaining his "company man" persona, or was Triple H using Cena's name to justify the divisive decision to bring Lesnar back? The truth likely lies somewhere in the middle. John Cena: Ultimate "Company Man" For two decades, John Cena has been known for his incredible work ethic and his unwavering loyalty to WWE. As the face of the company, he maintained a grueling 300+ days-a-year schedule. His philosophy of taking on any and all challengers and doing whatever the company asks of him is a key part of his legendary reputation. His latest comments are a perfect example of this persona. Even during his final run, where most legends would be hand-picking their dream opponents for a farewell tour, Cena is publicly stating that he is simply playing the part he has been given to the best of his ability. More WWE News: For more on WWE, head to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
The John Cena retirement tour: Which opponents could be on deck?
The John Cena heel turn has come and gone, extinguished in a burst of color, like the end of winter in Narnia. Will the experiment prove to be a stain on the Cena retirement tour? Thankfully, there are enough dates left on the calendar that WWE really should be able to turn this around, particularly if the crowd reactions for Cena at 'SmackDown' and SummerSlam are anything to go by. When it comes to the next steps for the 17-time champion, the roster isn't short of worthy opponents, plenty of whom have history with Cena. And with at least three PLEs on the calendar — as well as a rumored special Saturday Night's Main Event in Cena's home state — there's enough time to spin a proper narrative and give us something to help extinguish the memories of WrestleMania 41. As for what that might look like, here's what we know is happening before Cena retires in December, as well as some likely (and less likely) options for the coming months: Logan Paul Those who follow the backstage politics of WWE will know the promotion has been keen to do John Cena vs. Logan Paul for a while now — at one point it was considered for last year's WrestleMania XL. Cena's big heel turn in March presumably forced it to put any plans on ice, with the creatives choosing to have the two heels team up at MITB instead to face Cody Rhodes and Jey Uso. With the deck finally reset, it's back to the original plan, as Cena and Paul meet at Clash in Paris in Cena's first singles match since dropping the Universal Championship. For all his prodigious in-ring work and superstar quality, it's still a big pat on the back for 'The Social Media Megastar' to be one of the few non-legacy names chosen to get his time with the GOAT of WWE. Then again, no one ever went broke betting on Logan Paul getting big opportunities in WWE. No doubt the two of them will deliver an enjoyable match at Clash itself, but I'd be surprised if the feud continues after their respective planes take off from France. Brock Lesnar After that ending to SummerSlam we all know this one is happening. We also know from his big promo on last week's 'SmackDown' that John Cena feels more than ready to take on 'The Beast' in what will be their first singles encounter since 2014. As for when the match is actually happening, we're still in the dark. Given Brock Lesnar hasn't always been that keen on traveling internationally — purely as a personal preference — the overseas shows were always unlikely, with Paris now off the table entirely. Indeed some reports say Cena vs. Lesnar will take place at an unconfirmed U.S.-based PLE in September. Given the massive reaction to their interaction at SummerSlam, perhaps there's a case for stringing this one out beyond that. Having 'The Beast Incarnate' hovering over Cena like a television show-style 'big bad' — perhaps emerging again after Cena beats someone else in September to deliver another F-5 — could help build anticipation for their eventual showdown. Gunther If the reports are to be believed, WWE has its eyes set on Gunther to serve as Cena's final opponent, with the match taking place at a special SNME (yet to be confirmed) in Massachusetts just before Christmas. On the face of it, you can't fault the plan. Who better to provide that final match than one of the most ferocious competitors — and a proudly old-fashioned wrestler too — on the current roster? It's certainly the kind of thing that would add to the prestige around Gunther: a man who likely has a good 10 years, at least, as an upper-card star. That said, we know WWE likes to mislead the fan base (and the media) with these supposed leaks. And does it really make sense to give Cena exactly the same final match as Goldberg — given the latter happened just two months ago? AJ Styles Given the focus on going 'one last time' with Cena's classic opponents, it's probably still more likely this match happens than not — even if we haven't yet seen any teases that the WWE is planning on doing Cena vs. Styles. Another dance between two of WWE's most accomplished stars of the 2010s would merit a spot on any of the remaining PLEs. Then there's the fact that Cena is also set for a one-off appearance on 'Raw' (probably his last appearance on that particular show before retirement) in Massachusetts in September: Could that be the moment that we get Styles vs. Cena? Who else might we see? After the colossal shock of the Lesnar return, we probably shouldn't rule out another unexpected opponent for Cena. He and Seth Rollins obviously have history, even if the latter has his hands full right now. Could they battle one last time? We also know Cena likes putting over the younger talents (don't forget his most recent singles matches pre-2025 were against Austin Theory and Solo Sikoa). With that in mind, maybe we should keep an eye on the likes of Bron Breakker and Dom Mysterio, either of whom could put on a future classic with babyface Cena. The chances of seeing Edge, Batista and The Rock feel like very remote possibilities right now (albeit for different reasons), certainly for any kind of in-ring stuff. But might they show up in some form in the final stages of the retirement run? We are literally dealing with wrestling history here, after all. Finally, it might be nice to see some kind of encounter with the Wyatt Sicks, given Cena has said himself how much he enjoyed working with the late Bray Wyatt. An actual match would almost certainly be overkill, but a spooky backstage interaction could be fun, particularly if it had a callback to the Firefly Fun House. What dates will Cena be working? According to WWE and the man himself, Cena has another 11 dates to go until he hangs up those boots in December. Although we obviously shouldn't discount the possibility that there's a secret plan to add an extra date, particularly given we're still expecting that last SNME to be announced. Either way, here are the shows that we know Cena will be appearing at: Aug. 22: 'SmackDown' (Dublin) Aug. 29: 'SmackDown' (Paris) Aug. 31 – Clash in Paris Sept. 5: 'SmackDown' (Chicago) Sept. 15: 'Raw' (Springfield, Massachusetts) Oct. 11: Crown Jewel: Perth (Australia) Nov. 29: Survivor Series (You can maybe add an asterisk on Crown Jewel: Perth as Cena isn't actually listed on the WWE website. However, he is named on the stadium's ticket sales platform. In the event that he isn't working that show, Perth might not be too happy about it …) That leaves four dates to go, with more likely candidates being: Sept. 20: WWE PLE (at least if reports are correct …) Oct. 10: 'SmackDown' (Perth, Australia) Nov. 28: 'SmackDown' (TBA, but likely San Diego, given Survivor Series) December TBA: 'SmackDown,' pre-SNME episode December TBA: special episode of SNME (Boston)
Indianapolis Star
5 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
John Cena vs Brock Lesnar to headline unnamed Indianapolis WWE PLE in September: Reports
WWE is reportedly returning to Indianapolis for another Premium Live Event less than eight months after the Royal Rumble came to the Circle City. And the main event is apparently a big one. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, John Cena will headline the show with Brock Lesnar. "It can change, but the main event for this show is Brock Lesnar and John Cena," Meltzer said on Wrestling Observer Radio. "So it's a big one. Which is why Brock's not in Paris, is because of this. They wanted him for this show, not for the Paris show. And that's where Logan Paul got the gig." Lesnar returned to WWE on the second night of Summerslam in August to attack Cena. Cena was the runner-up at the Royal Rumble match in Indy after being eliminated by Jey Uso. WWE has yet to announce the September show in Indianapolis or what the name will be. In 2024, a multi-year deal between Indiana Sports Corp and WWE was announced. It included the 2025 Royal Rumble and a future Wrestlemania and Summerslam at Lucas Oil Stadium. The deal also ensured Gainbridge Fieldhouse as the host of yearly Monday Night Raw and Friday Night SmackDown tapings, as well as other select events and WWE NXT shows.
