Who Should John Cena’s Final Opponents Be?

With just five appearances left in his schedule, John Cena’s retirement tour has been nothing short of controversial. From completing one of the greatest heel turns in company history to competing in matches with no real sense of direction, Cena’s 2025 has had its ups and downs. With the recent announcement that Cena is set to compete against A.J. Styles at Crown Jewel, it seems as if Cena has decided to take matters into his own hands and actually force a match the fans really wanted to see before he rides off into the sunset. This leaves fans wondering who should be Cena’s final opponents. Here are a few suggestions on who should stand across from Cena in his final bouts.

Dominik Mysterio

It’s no surprise that Dominik Mysterio has been one of the hottest talents in 2025. From winning the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania to becoming the face of AAA, Mysterio has the accomplishments to crown himself the best superstar of the year. A match between Mysterio and Cena would certainly be a pleasure to watch, considering Mysterio has the one championship Cena has yet to win in order to become a Grand Slam Champion. If WWE wants to truly make Mysterio the biggest heel in the company, they would book him as Cena’s last opponent and have him go over to close out Cena’s legendary career.

Brock Lesnar

The disappointing encounter between Brock Lesnar and Cena at Wrestlepalooza left a sour taste in many people’s mouths. Many fans believed that a Lesnar victory over Cena was not necessary and ruined a potentially great show. Although WWE might want Lesnar to move on to other opponents, having Cena challenge him again and going over in victory is the better direction. Cena has done so much for this company, and his taking unnecessary losses in the final matches of his career is not something fans want to remember him for. If these two collide once again, Cena has to stand tall in victory; otherwise, it’s best not to even book the match at all.

Gunther

Gunther has been away from the WWE following his World Heavyweight Championship loss to CM Punk at SummerSlam, and with questions surrounding when he will come back, a return match against Cena feels just right. Gunther has proven to deliver big matches against the biggest stars of the company, and Cena is the perfect fit for him. Cena loves to compete against the larger opponents and always finds new ways to shock the audience with big moves. Gunther and Cena already have that big-match feel, and in the right setting, they are more than capable of stealing the show.

Matt Cardona

This is a bit of a long shot, considering Matt Cardona is currently signed to TNA, but with the recent partnership between TNA and NXT, this is a match that could possibly happen with the right circumstances. Cardona has a huge amount of respect for Cena, considering he was heavily involved with Cardona early on in his career. Cena has even mentioned Cardona’s name during his retirement, hinting that he would very much like to have him as one of his final opponents. Whether this match could happen is anyone’s guess, but if Cena has the power to request matches against anyone he wants, a matchup between him and Cardona would be a must-watch.