6 First Time PPV Opponents John Cena Needs To Face Before He Retires

Whether you like it or not, John Cena is one of the best performers of his generation, and arguably one of the top performers in WWE history, but that long, successful career is coming to an end. Before it does, he still has plenty of mouthwatering feuds to enjoy.

The WWE have not had a successful star like Cena since he turned to the part-time schedule to pursue avenues in Hollywood, but he has been doing a great job of putting over the younger talent and giving them every chance to succeed.

However, in order for the WWE to continue prospering over the next few years and into future generations, past stars like Cena still have to put over the young talent, and if the WWE can get fully behind these talent, then the company will be in safe hands.

They're already in safe hands when you consider the overall talent of the entire roster, but in terms of a top star that you can get behind and market to the casual audience, they haven't got that, but they've got stars with that potential.

From current NXT superstars to blossoming stars on the main roster, the WWE have the potential to be just as important to business as John Cena, and today, we are going to look at some of them as future opponents for the former Face That Runs The Place.

His time as a full-time Champion in the WWE may have come to an end, but given how much the WWE have supported John over the years, he needs to do what's best for the company, and the following are 6 stars that he should face over the next few years in order to preserve the future of the company.

As always, let us know all your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.

#6 Andrade

Andrade

Andrade came to the WWE off of a very successful career down in Mexico, where he was one of the countries top names, and after making his way through NXT and becoming Champion, it's clear that the WWE hold him in very high regard. He's had some incredible matches with Rey Mysterio, but he's yet to find traction on the main roster, and the best way to achieve that is a big time rivalry with the likes of John Cena.

It's unlikely to happen in the near future, because Cena's future itself is uncertain, but given his past history of putting over new stars like Seth Rollins, AJ Styles and most recently Finn Balor, it's definitely a possibility.

Alongside Zelina Vega, it seems that Andrade has everything it takes to be the next big Latin star in the WWE, and if he continues to build an impressive resume of bouts, Cena will be chomping at the bit to work with El Idolo.

#5 Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle

Matt Riddle has only been with the WWE for a few months now, but through his feud with Kassius Ohno, he has been established as a potential superstar, and given his legitimate background and clear X-factor, it's only a matter of time until he's in the main event.

Riddle combines his legitimate MMA background with all the flair and charisma that's needed to make it in professional wrestling, and it's clear that he's got a big future ahead of him.

With the amount of stars down in NXT, Riddle is going to have to fight and claw to get to the main event, and considering his talent, he will be in contention for the NXT title soon, so the main roster may be over a year off.

John Cena has been the top guy in WWE for years now, and there's plenty of opponents who could take that spot from him, but in NXT, it seems that Matt Riddle is the safest bet, so this bout needs to happen.

#4 The Velveteen Dream

Velveteen Dream

NXT has been built on the back of incredible wrestlers putting on fantastic matches, but we've never quite seen someone with the charisma and over the top flair like The Dream.

There's no one like him on the entire WWE roster, as he combines flamboyance with the edge that you need to make it as a big star in the WWE, and his in-ring work is rapidly catching up to everything else.

At every Takeover, there's plenty of great wrestling bouts, but what stands out is someone who can captivate the crowd and keep their attention no matter what, and that's what The Dream brings to the table, and he's quickly become a fan favourite because of it.

He's called out John Cena several times, and given his desire to become the top name on the main roster, that needs to happen immediately upon his main roster arrival, and it's hard to see that being delayed beyond the start of 2020.

#3 Drew McIntyre

Drew McIntyre

10 years ago, Vince McMahon dubbed Drew McIntyre the 'Chosen One', and that didn't exactly pan out the way they expected, but after a brief hiatus from the company, he is back to fulfil his destiny.

After a brief run through NXT that saw him become the NXT Champion, McIntyre has been fantastic on Monday Night RAW, and while he's being heavily protected for a future main event run, he hasn't exactly had a big time feud that could show how much the WWE believe in him.

He's had encounters with John Cena over the years, but no high profile singles feud. If they do see him as a future top heel in the WWE, then this is the way to get him over.

McIntyre stands out quite a lot, but with the likes of Braun Strowman, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens, Finn Balor and others on the show, they need to do more to push him. A feud with John Cena (perhaps leading to a bout at WrestleMania 35?) would be the best way to truly prove how valuable he is to the future.

#2 Adam Cole

Adam Cole

Adam Cole has long been regarded as a future World Champion in the WWE, and given how charismatic he is as the head of The Undisputed Era, his chances have only improved since arriving in NXT.

He may not have the size that the WWE usually like in their main event stars, but Cole has presence, charisma, character work, great in-ring work and everything else it takes. A victory over John Cena would go a long way to proving he has what it takes to be a top guy.

We don't know much about Cena's status going forward, but it's clear that The Undisputed Era will be on RAW or Smackdown Live in 2020, and Cena should be the first big opponent for Cole.

When AJ Styles faced John Cena for the first time, it cemented him as a main event player, even with the help of Gallows and Anderson, so knowing that he has Strong, O'Reilly and Fish by his side, this could really cement Cole and The Undisputed Era as a force going forward.

#1 Elias

Elias

These two men interacted at WrestleMania 34 before John Cena went on to be squashed by The Undertaker, and it's clear that Elias is a future main event player in the making, so they need to run an official bout between the two.

They've had a singles bout on RAW and interacted on several big PPV's together in some form or another, but to get him over as the next top star, he needs to have a singles bout with the Face that Runs the Place.

Elias has recently been treading water in a very odd feud with the returning Jeff Jarrett, and it's time the WWE get behind him as more than a musical, undercard act. Sure, the music is a big part of what makes Elias a superstar, but he's a very talented performer, and whether he's a face or a heel, he has the potential to be a main event star. A big PPV bout with John Cena could solidify that fact.