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, 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 might maintain for one of many greatest stars in WWE historical past. May Cena win a world title for the seventeenth time in his profession, breaking Ric Aptitude’s file 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 WWE must 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 serious participant.

When Cena heads into WrestleMania, it must be in a most important occasion function, not in a random midcard match. As talked about, another run as world champion would give Cena the file of most runs as world champion in wrestling historical past. Cena might get to the mandatory 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 seems 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 more likely 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 smart in case you purchase into the road of considering that Cena’s retirement tour is to assist in giving an enormous launch to Uncooked’s transition to Netflix.

At the least 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 taking part in 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 ultimate years ought to have callbacks to his most legendary rivalries and key factors in his profession. Whereas Orton has been snarled in Bloodline-related tales since his return from harm, he hasn’t actually had an outlined course as a singles wrestler.

It looks like that might change quickly for Orton, probably with a heel flip. If Orton turns heel within the coming months, he would make an amazing foil for some level throughout Cena’s return. That would come earlier than or after a possible Cena title win, however followers will surely 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 might draw large curiosity by pairing up Cena and Rock for one ultimate match. It feels as if that may be unlikely with Rock being so deeply invested within the general Bloodline storyline and splitting the mixed drawing energy of Rock and Cena in all probability can be the very 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 best matches in WWE historical past, at Cash within the Financial institution 2011. Punk and Cena are a magical pairing of their juxtaposition. Punk is all the things Cena is not, a literal punk who needed to scratch and claw to make his technique 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 must 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 might 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 taking part in that sport briefly with Wyatt’s brother as one thing of a tribute can be a enjoyable and considerably touching second.