WHO SHOULD JOHN CENA'S FINAL 10 OPPONENTS BE?

With the time ticking away for Cena's farewell tour and merely 23 appearances left for the 17 time World Champion, the BCP+ crew has put together a list of 10 MUST singles opponents for the first ballot future WWE Hall of Famer. 

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1. CM PUNK

 

Everyone remembers the “pipe bomb” promo from CM Punk. It is folklore in the wrestling world. The guy who probably benefited the least from that promo was John Cena, who was in the ring with a front row seat to the magic. Fast forward to Money in the Bank 2011, where CM Punk promised that he would win the WWE Championship and leave the WWE with said championship in his hands. Well, CM punk won that match and (nearly) did what he promised. How fitting would it be to have a John Cena vs CM Punk match for the WWE Undisputed Championship where CM Punk is the guy that can stop John Cena from doing what he wants to do… leave the WWE with the title and be the last real WWE Champion. Come to think of it… didn’t CM Punk call himself a REAL Champion a couple of years ago!? - Kelvin Kately

 

2. ROMAN REIGNS

 

Out of everyone on this list, I knew I had to acknowledge only one – the Original Tribal Chief. Yes, I know I’m a Roman Reigns stan but hear me out. Reigns must be one of Cena’s final opponents for several reasons: 

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1. Both are the faces of their respective eras, historical money makers for WWE, and massive draws anytime they are on screen, whether you love them or hate them.

2. Cena has lost every singles match against Reigns with the last time being in 2021. It would be interesting to see whether this trend continues or if Cena gets his first win against Reigns. 

3. Cena, with his 17th record breaking world title win, would be facing a more confident Reigns who is coming off the best run of his career and has the title of longest reigning WWE Universal

Champion. Legacy v. legacy equals money. 

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Lastly, Reigns is also not long for WWE as he has mentioned having one, maybe two more years, left of active in-ring competition while already working a part-time schedule. With Hollywood calling him, as it is Cena, this could be a match that cements both of their careers and maybe helps Reigns warm up as the rumored Akuma in the upcoming Street Fighter movie.- Amanda Rivas

 

​3. AJ STYLES

 

For a guy who WWE’s then-management wasn’t sure would be recognized by fans, AJ Styles has become a mainstay and an icon in his second act. Still putting on great matches with just about anyone. Still bringing a southern-fried attitude to promos that people used to say he couldn't deliver. And, despite being the squeakiest of clean  babyfaces for years, he earned himself boos in the most dramatic way possible: making “Beat up John Cena” into his signature line. AJ is a significant thread in the weave John Cena’s story but Cena is one of the tent poles for AJ. - Matt Widdis

 

4. JEY USO

 

Another match against Roman Reigns seems like a given in the coming months. Since before The Bloodline even had a name, you get to the Head of the Table by getting past the Main Event. And besides that… do I dare put it out there? Do we do this once again? There’s an Infinity Stone unclaimed. There’s one half of the Power Sword unaccounted for. When it comes to being “The Last True Champion,” there’s a missing piece of the puzzle. And Jey Uso has it. - Matt Widdis

 

5. JOE HENDRY

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Of all the potential matches, I could make the case for this being the most important. The guy who was inspired by John Cena, spoke to him on the phone as a kid, and has often publicly stated that this is HIS dream match, Joe Hendry, NEEDS this match to happen. Not only because of the popularity of the two pro wrestling stars, but because this story writes itself. Cena himself has told Hendry, “Fortune favors the bold”, as well as telling the former TNA World Champion that he is doing what he needs to do. Additionally, Cena has put over Hendry big on Pat McAfee’s platform. I don’t the man with the former mantra of Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect is just leading Hendry on. In fact, this could be the most pivotal match of Cena’s final months. - Rob Crowther

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6. CODY RHODES

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To quote the great heel Professor Hinkle from Frosty the Snowman -- the John Cena heel turn has been "Messy, Messy, Messy!"

 

The spectacular, earth-shattering heel turn that garnered mainstream media attention has been squandered at every turn. His lack of consistent television time, his half-baked, monotone "you people promos," getting physically and verbally dog walked at every turn by Cody Rhodes, a poorly planned and executed title win at WrestleMania, the involvement of Travis Scott -- all of these and so much more (including all the weirdness with The Rock) have made this turn messy. 

 

And there's only one man that can truly save John Cena.... Cody Rhodes.

 

Cody Rhodes is the one true, undeniable babyface that the fans are ride or die with from the moment his theme song hits to the moment he leaves the ring. There's no one else in WWE on his level. And let's face it,  these two need one more time in the ring to exorcise the demons of that match.

 

A loss to Cody Rhodes -- especially if done early enough -- will allow Cena to turn back to being a babyface. The fans will accept it. They're already buying his farewell merch. They don't really want to boo him. And Cody is the only person who can bring him to the promised land and believably atone for his wrongdoings. - Bill Bodkin 

 

7. REY MYSTERIO

 

Mysterio’s injury should only have him out 4-6 months from the time of the injury, enabling this ultimate babyface vs. John Cena match to realistically happen. The match would surely garner more heat for Cena, as Rey is arguably one of the most beloved pro wrestlers of all time. Let’s face it. There’s a built-in history between Cena and Mysterio. Mysterio held the WWE Championship in 2011 for mere hours after winning the coveted title against the Miz on Monday Night Raw, only to lose the title at the end of the night to Cena. I’d love to see the levels of storytelling these two could achieve during one final one-on-one match!   - Rob Crowther 

 

8. DIRTY DOMINIK MYSTERIO

 

Dominik Mysterio, aka Daddy Dom, aka the future of this industry, would be a perfect opponent for Cena as he wraps up his career. Obviously Cena needs to go back to being a babyface first, but that feels like a foregone conclusion. Here’s 3 reasons why Dom would be a perfect opponent as Cena wraps things up. 

 

1. Dom still gets some of the loudest boos in the industry. After Cena tried to “ruin wrestling” it might be a good idea to toss him some softball “heel” opponents to get the crowd back on his side. 

2. It is a perfect “changing of the guard” setup. Dom has a long career ahead of him. While it most likely wouldn’t end with Cena putting Dom over, it would do more good for the business than cena having fights with guys also at the tail end of their career, like AJ Styles and CM Punk. 

3. The one title missing from Cena’s impressive trophy collection is the Intercontinental Championship. Who is the current IC champion? Case Closed.  - Mike Mueller

 

9. The Rock

 

There cannot be two ultimates, two alphas. The Sith have a master and an apprentice, not two masters. When Billy Lee and Jimmy Lee beat all of the goons in Double Dragon, only one gets to take Marian home. Does the Final Boss cap Cena’s level or does the student surpass the teacher? Their main event series stands at 1-1. Do they go one more time to determine the greatest of all time?   - Matt Widdis

 

10.  OBA FEMI

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Kevin Owens made a huge splash in 2015 by answering John Cena’s United States Championship open challenge as the reigning NXT Champion. Right now, one of the most organic and quickest risings in the WWE system has been the current champion, Oba Femi.  The rub that could go to Oba from a match, a DQ win, a screw job loss, a count out, or anything in between could turn his inevitable slingshot to the main roster into a rocket launcher.  - Matt Widdis

 

Honorable Mentions: 

 

Karrion Kross

“Strike while the iron is hot,” is the old adage. Right now, Kross has the buzz of an entire apiary with his self-made push via documentary, social media, and noted perseverance. Despite not being on Wrestlemania (and losing to talents going out the door in the previous one,) he is a top three merch seller. He has no history with John Cena but he does have a noticeable long-term storyline where his opponents all become heels following their feuds. What happens when he faces the already turned, the man who has taken on Undertaker and Bray Wyatt and stayed clean until now? It might be yet another job out. But it could be Killer.

 

El Grande Americano

Who better than to take on the 17-time WWE Champion than a man who has a similar legacy south of the border? Whereas Cena has carried a stars-and-stripes element to his persona, Americano has represented his patriot’s pride throughout his historic career as a top luchador. Legend vs legend. Icon vs icon. Not since Antonio Inoki and Ric Flair met in Pyongyang in 1995 has such a clash been seen and maybe never will again.

 

American Made

Any of the members of American Made could make for a great opponent. Chad Gable is the obvious choice with a style and move set obviously patterned after former Cena foe Kurt Angle. Julius Creed is a generational talent waiting to break out. Baby brother, Brutus, is a beast but could easily be a sympathetic one to further Cena’s dive into the dark. There may be more appropriate choices for the limited time (and miles) the Cena has left but this is rich diamond mine to pick at.       - Matt Widdis

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Who do YOU think John Cena should face in his final matches? Let us know on the BCP+ socials and YouTube Channel.