5 Opponents for John Cena before his WWE retirement

John Cena has finally lost the Undisputed WWE Championship to Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam 2025. The 17-time World Champion locked horns with The American Nightmare in a Street Fight but couldn't seal a victory after Cody went extremely aggressive against The Champ. After the loss, the two hugged each other, and Cena looked emotional with tears in his eyes, as this was his last WWE title run and also his last appearance at SummerSlam.

However, the biggest shocker of the night was waiting to happen. As Cody Rhodes walked back, and the crowd waited for Cena to apologize to them for being an arrogant champion, Brock Lesnar returned.

The Beast Incarnate came back after a hiatus of nearly two years. His last WWE appearance was at SummerSlam 2023, when he lost to Cody Rhodes. Brock's return was flabbergasting for the fans because there were rumors of his retirement from the company. However, the 10-time WWE World Champion put all the rumors to rest with this spectacular return. And now, things are going to be profoundly interesting in WWE.

In this listicle, we will discuss five possible opponents for John Cena before his retirement.

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#5. Brock Lesnar

As Lesnar gave a crushing F5 to Cena in the middle of the ring following his return, he is certainly going to be his next opponent. Moreover, Cena has a quite terrible record against Lesnar in singles matches.

The two have squared off against each other in 18 matches, out of which The Beast has won 16, while Cena has managed to win in only 2 matches. Since it would be his last match against Lesnar in WWE, it would be interesting to see if the 17-time World Champion could secure a win there.

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#4. AJ Styles

John Cena has still not faced AJ Styles so far in his retirement tour. The Phenomenal One is a former rival of Cena, and the two have put up some incredible matches in the past. Cena has outsmarted Styles in every contest, winning 18 out of 21 singles matches.

The fans have expressed their desires on social media that they would like to see the two legends go against each other once again before Cena finally hangs up his boots. So, once Cena is done with Brock Lesnar, he might get in a match with AJ Styles.

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#3. Gunther

The Ring General is rumored to be John Cena's last opponent in WWE. Cena's last match is expected to take place on December 13, 2025, and Gunther is speculated to be his final opponent.

It won't be fair either if Cena signs out without getting into the ring with one of the best superstars in WWE. The Austrian Scion has been praised by legends like The Undertaker for his wrestling prowess. It would be an eye feast for the fans if Gunther and Cena went one-on-one inside the squared circle.

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#2. Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins has just won the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam. And his first challenger is likely to be CM Punk. However, who knows, John Cena might also enter the picture and make it a Triple Threat battle.

Cena could also go after the World Heavyweight Championship, and it wouldn't even be a surprise if Punk helps out Cena against Seth Rollins. The Straight Edge Superstar hates Seth Rollins to the core in WWE. Therefore, he might not hesitate in watching Seth lose the gold to Cena before The Champ officially retires.

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#1. The Rock (John Cena's Corporate Boss)

The Rock and John Cena could also go one-on-one for the last time in their careers. Cena is no longer a heel, while The Rock is a heel. The Leader of the Cenation is also no longer Rock's corporate champion. The two are seemingly not on the same page anymore after Cena hugged Cody Rhodes after his loss.

The Great One could return anytime and give an earful to Cena for not being able to live up to the expectations. Cena, being his usual self, could retort with equal measure. The Leader of Cenation might also challenge The Rock to a one-on-one match, and that feud could culminate at Survivor Series: WarGames in November this year. The two have a 1-1 record against each other, and this would be a decider contest.

As of now, all eyes are on The Rock's ultimate return to WWE and his reaction to Cena's loss at SummerSlam.

Edited by Sanchari Bhattacharya