John Cena appeared at WWE Cash within the Financial institution premium reside occasion over the weekend, utilizing the shock look to announce his full retirement from wrestling. The Cena Present is not over but, nevertheless, as he introduced that he would compete “all through” 2025 earlier than formally and fully strolling away from in-ring competitors.
It is unclear what Cena means precisely by competing all year long, however Cena is reportedly already locked in for Royal Rumble, Elimination Chamber and WrestleMania 41.
With such a serious announcement, hypothesis is operating wild as to what 2025 may maintain for one of many largest stars in WWE historical past. May Cena win a world title for the seventeenth time in his profession, breaking Ric Aptitude’s document for many stints as world champion? Will he win a singles match for the primary time since 2018?
Let’s have a bit of enjoyable and try some potential stops alongside the John Cena Retirement Tour.
Profitable Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber
Cena’s final run via WWE ought to be nothing like his previous couple of sporadic appearances the place Cena was used to place over younger expertise, shedding singles matches to Austin Concept and Solo Sikoa. This time round, Cena must be in the primary occasion having fun with time as a serious participant.
When Cena heads into WrestleMania, it ought to be in a most important occasion position, not in a random midcard match. As talked about, yet another run as world champion would give Cena the document of most runs as world champion in wrestling historical past. Cena may get to the mandatory title shot at WrestleMania 41 one in all two methods, both by successful the Royal Rumble or the Elimination Chamber, set for January and February, respectively.
If WWE plans to place the title on Cena and he does not plan on competing previous WrestleMania, it might even be an choice to have him win the world heavyweight championship on the Royal Rumble occasion however that seems like there is not sufficient time to construct to Cena in a world title match.
Profitable the world heavyweight championship
Assuming Cena wins both of the above matches and will get a assured title shot at WrestleMania, it might solely make sense for him to chase the world heavyweight championship. The undisputed WWE championship held by Cody Rhodes is prone to be tied up in some model of a match with somebody from The Bloodline. Rhodes vs. Cena would get a ton of consideration as an epic conflict of elite-tier babyfaces, however the simpler path can be for Cena to shoot for whoever has the world heavyweight championship. This additionally is sensible for those who purchase into the road of considering that Cena’s retirement tour is to assist in giving a giant launch to Uncooked’s transition to Netflix.
No less than for the second, it seems Gunther is destined to take the world heavyweight championship someday earlier than the tip of the 12 months, probably as early as SummerSlam. Cena’s historical past of mainly enjoying the wrestling model of a superhero would pair effectively with a dominant heel like Gunther.
A retro rivalry with Randy Orton
Orton and Cena have a protracted historical past that features heaps of pay-per-view matches. Cena’s last years ought to have callbacks to his most legendary rivalries and key factors in his profession. Whereas Orton has been twisted up in Bloodline-related tales since his return from damage, he hasn’t actually had an outlined course as a singles wrestler.
It looks as if that would change quickly for Orton, probably with a heel flip. If Orton turns heel within the coming months, he would make an incredible foil for some level throughout Cena’s return. That might come earlier than or after a possible Cena title win, however followers would definitely be keen to embrace the return of one of many rivalries that outlined the late 2000s and early 2010s in WWE.
Different potential Cena opponents
- With The Rock again within the combine, WWE may draw big curiosity by pairing up Cena and Rock for one last match. It feels as if that will be unlikely with Rock being so deeply invested within the total Bloodline storyline and splitting the mixed drawing energy of Rock and Cena in all probability can be the perfect enterprise transfer. Nonetheless, the concept of those two titans colliding is sufficient to get the blood pumping.
- CM Punk and Cena produced arguably the best match of Cena’s profession, and top-of-the-line matches in WWE historical past, at Cash within the Financial institution 2011. Punk and Cena are a magical pairing of their juxtaposition. Punk is every little thing Cena is not, a literal punk who needed to scratch and claw to make his solution to the highest of an organization that had mainly anointed Cena earlier than he’d ever made a single wave. Once more, traditional Cena callbacks ought to be on the menu for 2025.
- There’s not sufficient juice for a prolonged program, however the re-debut of Uncle Howdy and his Wyatt Sick6 may make for an fascinating quick program with Cena. In spite of everything, Cena had an iconic pandemic WrestleMania “match” with Bray Wyatt within the Firefly Funhouse. Cena enjoying that recreation briefly with Wyatt’s brother as one thing of a tribute can be a enjoyable and considerably touching second.