[SPOILER] John Cena’s former rival eliminated from Last Time is Now Tournament

John Cena's retirement is nearing fast, with only two dates left on his schedule, and the promotion has been working tirelessly to craft a perfect ending to the icon's legendary career.

WWE has already taped the go-home edition of Friday Night SmackDown ahead of Survivor Series: WarGames 2025, and fans in the live crowd have posted some spoilers on the social media accounts.

One anticipated bout, which took place on the taped episode of the blue brand, was for The Last Time Is Now Tournament, held to determine John Cena's final opponent for his final bout.

Rusev and Jey Uso locked horns, and after a back-and-forth bout, the Yeet Master clinched a big win over the Cenation Leader's former rival, and the former World Heavyweight Champion has qualified for the further rounds.

The Cenation Leader and The Bulgarian Brute had a major feud in 2015; the two even competed at WrestleMania 31 in an "I Quit" match, and this rivalry also involved the United States Championship, establishing Rusev as one of the top on the roster at that time.

John Cena is booked for his final WWE PLE

The Chain Gang Soldier became the Grand Slam Champion, beating Dominik Mysterio and capturing the Intercontinental title on RAW from Boston in his hometown.

On the RAW from Madison Square Garden, "Dirty" Dom demanded an instant rematch for his lost title against Cena. The icon was set to defend the championship that same night, but a Judgment Day member asked for the bout to be at Survivor Series 2025.

John accepted the challenge, and the two are now officially booked for a singles match with the IC strap on the stake at the final Premium Live Event of the year.

That said, it will be interesting to see who wins the tournament and faces John Cena and whether the Ruthless Aggression legend manages to defend his IC title at his last PLE bout. Only time will tell.

Edited by Angana Roy