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John Cena has had a memorable career in the WWE. The WWE Universe will always remember Cena as one of the greatest stars. He is a 16-time world champion and has beaten WWE's legendary stars such as Shawn Michaels, Triple H, and The Undertaker. Cena came into the company as someone who flew under the radar, but slogged his backside off to prove every doubter wrong.
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Throughout his career, Cena had dream matches with numerous wrestlers like AJ Styles and The Rock.
With Cena's wrestling career slowly coming to an end as he focuses on his Hollywood career, it suits him to have a retirement match soon. Whether the choice of a final opponent is up to Cena himself or Vince McMahon, Cena will make the best out of it no matter what.
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The current WWE roster is stacked with talented superstars. Here are five such talents who could be worthy opponents for Cena's retirement match.
#5 WWE Superstar Drew McIntyre
Drew McIntyre has been on top of the RAW roster since he defeated Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 36. Hee has proved he is a main event player and competed against Bobby Lashley, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, and many others.
WWE can go about having a McIntyre and Cena storyline where McIntyre turns heel. Based on a conversation with Steven Maulhassen of DAZN, McIntyre mentioned that he is looking forward to turning once again. There is no better way to do so than to target Cena, who was once the company's top star.
If McIntyre defeats Bobby Lashley, he could defend the WWE Championship as a heel against John Cena at SummerSlam. Other plans could involve having Drew go on top just like he did with Lesnar or have Cena leave on a good note by winning the WWE Championship for the 17th time.
#4 WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns
Since Roman Reigns made his return to SummerSlam in 2020, he has proved that he didn't miss a beat. Within a week, he conquered The Fiend and Braun Strowman to become the Universal Champion. Currently, Reigns has been Universal Champion for eight months during which he overcame every challenge.
Throughout his career in the WWE, Reigns has defeated WWE's top superstars, including John Cena himself. The last time these two top stars went against each other was at No Mercy in 2017, where Reigns cleanly defeated Cena, thus earning his respect.
Cena's retirement doesn't have to be for the WWE Championship specifically; it can also be a championship Cena has never competed for.
Cena has never held the Universal Championship, which is why it would be interesting to see Cena challenge "The Tribal Chief" for his possession. A loss to Roman in Cena's retirement match would be something the WWE Universe would be talking about for a long time.
#3 WWE Champion Bobby Lashley
When Bobby Lashley returned to WWE in 2018, he made it clear that he would become world champion in the future. Within three years, Lashley showed that he meant what he said. Since MVP joined Lashley's corner, he has become a dominant force. Lashley also made history at WrestleMania 37 by successfully retaining the title against Drew McIntyre.
If Lashley can hold the WWE Championship, he could work on a program with John Cena. The two have a history as they competed for the WWE title.
Their one-time collision ended with Cena coming on top. Now that things are much different, Lashley could finally avenge his loss from 14 years ago. In addition, he could also be the one to end Cena's career.
In another direction, Cena can defeat Lashley to become a 17 time WWE Champion and break Ric Flair's record. From there, Cena could easily vacate the title, possibly leading Lashley to win the title back.
#2 WWE Hall of Famer Edge
Edge is a top candidate to face John Cena in his retirement match. The John Cena and Edge rivalry was considered one of the greatest rivalries during WWE's Ruthless Aggression Era. These two men would go at it every night for the WWE Championship. Both Cena and Edge competed in TLC, Steel Cage, and Last Man Standing Matches.
These two men would even make it personal when Edge slapped Cena's father and Cena got even by throwing Edge into the Long Island Sound. After years of clawing at each other for world titles, it is without question that these two legendary superstars have earned each other's respect.
Now that Edge is back, there is always a possibility of a match between them. If it were to occur, it would be the first time Edge and Cena have faced each other in over 10 years. A final match for Cena, where Edge is his last opponent, would be epic for the WWE Universe to witness.
#1 WWE RAW Superstar Randy Orton
Aside from Edge, Randy Orton fits the bill. Both Orton and Cena have parallel careers. For instance, both men came from WWE's then developmental promotion, Ohio Valley Wrestling, before being called to the main roster. Within a year, both men were already challenging for their respective brands' world championships.
It wasn't until 2005 that they competed against each other for the first time in WWE. Cena and Orton would then face each other in multiple types of matches such as an I Quit, Hell in a Cell, Iron Man, and Ladder Matches. The last time these two polarizing stars faced each other was in 2017 when Cena picked up the win.
If a rivalry between the two occurs, it would be the first time without a championship. Much like Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock's final match, it would be about who the better man is. Whether this match takes place at SummerSlam, Survivor Series, or WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, Texas, Cena and Orton will give it their all in one spectacular finale.
Who do you believe should be John Cena's final opponent? Let us know in the comments below.
