John Cena appeared at WWE Cash within the Financial institution premium dwell occasion over the weekend, utilizing the shock look to announce his full retirement from wrestling. The Cena Present is not over but, nonetheless, 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 significant announcement, hypothesis is working wild as to what 2025 may maintain for one of many largest stars in WWE historical past. Might Cena win a world title for the seventeenth time in his profession, breaking Ric Aptitude’s report for many stints as world champion? Will he win a singles match for the primary time since 2018?

Let’s have slightly enjoyable and check out some potential stops alongside the John Cena Retirement Tour.

Successful Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber

Cena’s final run by way of WWE needs to be nothing like his previous few 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 significant participant.

When Cena heads into WrestleMania, it needs to be in a principal occasion function, not in a random midcard match. As talked about, yet another run as world champion would give Cena the report of most runs as world champion in wrestling historical past. Cena may get to the required title shot at WrestleMania 41 considered one of 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 could even be an choice to have him win the world heavyweight championship on the Royal Rumble occasion however that looks like there is not sufficient time to construct to Cena in a world title match.

Successful the world heavyweight championship

Assuming Cena wins both of the above matches and will get a assured title shot at WrestleMania, it could 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 could be for Cena to shoot for whoever has the world heavyweight championship. This additionally is smart for those who purchase into the road of pondering that Cena’s retirement tour is to assist in giving a giant launch to Uncooked’s transition to Netflix.

At the very least for the second, it seems Gunther is destined to take the world heavyweight championship someday earlier than the top of the 12 months, presumably as early as SummerSlam. Cena’s historical past of mainly enjoying the wrestling model of a superhero would pair nicely with a dominant heel like Gunther.

A retro rivalry with Randy Orton

Orton and Cena have an extended historical past that features heaps of pay-per-view matches. Cena’s closing years ought to have callbacks to his most legendary rivalries and key factors in his profession. Whereas Orton has been tousled in Bloodline-related tales since his return from damage, he hasn’t actually had an outlined course as a singles wrestler.

It looks like that might change quickly for Orton, presumably with a heel flip. If Orton turns heel within the coming months, he would make a fantastic foil for some level throughout Cena’s return. That would come earlier than or after a possible Cena title win, however followers would definitely be prepared 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 closing match. It feels as if that may 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 could be one of the best enterprise transfer. Nonetheless, the thought 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 among the finest matches in WWE historical past, at Cash within the Financial institution 2011. Punk and Cena are a magical pairing of their juxtaposition. Punk is the whole lot Cena is not, a literal punk who needed to scratch and claw to make his approach to the highest of an organization that had mainly anointed Cena earlier than he’d ever made a single wave. Once more, basic Cena callbacks needs 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 brief 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 could be a enjoyable and considerably touching second.