4 Mistakes Triple H must avoid with John Cena’s Last Time is Now Tournament

John Cena will make his final appearance in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts, on this week's RAW. The episode will also kickstart the Last Time is Now Tournament to determine The Never Seen 17's final opponent in WWE at Saturday Night's Main Event XLII on December 13.

Cena's retirement tour has been a mixed bag, far from what fans expected for The GOAT's final year in WWE. A 16-man tournament seems like a great idea to add more prestige to the veteran's last match.

However, Triple H must ensure it lives up to the hype, and for that, he has to avoid making these four mistakes with John Cena's Last Time is Now Tournament:

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#4. Having LA Knight lose in the first round

On last week's SmackDown, it was announced that LA Knight will face a mystery opponent in the first round of the Last Time is Now Tournament. The Megastar has suffered several setbacks lately, and he is at risk of losing credibility as a major player in the company.

The former United States Champion needs a good showing in the tournament to re-establish himself as a main eventer. Therefore, whoever his opponent may be, Knight must beat him and move on to the second round.

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#3. Jey Uso in the final

Jey Uso will battle The Miz in the first round of the tournament on this week's SmackDown. After failing to win the World Heavyweight Championship at SNME XLI, The YEET Master will look to regain momentum by putting on a dominant performance in the tournament.

However, while he needs a good showing, Jey shouldn't go all the way into the finals. Fans have been critical of the former World Heavyweight Champion receiving opportunities in the main event scene that should have gone to someone else.

There are far better options for the final of the Last Time is Now Tournament than Jey Uso.

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#2. Needs to ensure John Cena gets a fresh matchup for his retirement

While John Cena's final year as a whole may not have turned out as expected, his final match can. To do that, Triple H must ensure he books a fresh matchup for The GOAT's final in-ring outing.

As The Franchise Player said it himself, his final opponent will not be hand-picked; it will be hard-earned. Having a young star go on to retire The Last Time Real Champion will etch his name in the history books and leave a lasting impact on Cena's legacy as well.

If someone who has a history with The Cenation Leader wins the tournament in the name of nostalgia, it will arguably waste a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make a young star's career.

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#1. Not introducing unpredictable participants

While announcing the Last Time is Now Tournament, John Cena revealed that superstars from RAW, SmackDown, NXT, and even outside of WWE will participate in it. This has skyrocketed fans' expectations about several surprising names showing up in the coming weeks.

The Triple H-led creative team must ensure it lives up to those expectations by bringing unexpected participants from outside of the company. This would add a factor of unpredictability to the tournament and make it more exciting.

Edited by Parth Pujara