5 TNA stars who could face John Cena during his WWE farewell tour 

A few weeks into 2025, WWE is already breaking records and creating history. The year kicked off with the historic debut of RAW on Netflix, SmackDown becoming a three-hour show, NXT breaking its viewership record, the Royal Rumble selling over 55,000 tickets, making it the biggest Rumble in history, and more. The company has also entered into a multi-year partnership with TNA Wrestling, which intends to create crossover opportunities between TNA stars and NXT Superstars.

As many know, John Cena will be a key figure this year with his farewell tour, which kicked off earlier this month. During his run as the face of the company, the 16-time World Champion wrestled almost every rising and top star on the roster.

However, not every generational wrestler at the time worked for World Wrestling Entertainment, leading to many dream matches featuring Cena being delayed or shelved. But that could change this year, and fans could witness some of their dream bouts.

The deal between the global juggernaut and TNA Wrestling to create crossover opportunities applies to superstars from the developmental brand. Over the years, many top WWE stars have gone to NXT for a brief feud or match with rising stars, and The Franchise Player could do the same and visit the former black-and-gold brand only to be confronted by a star from the Nashville-based company.

John Cena could finally make history by facing someone from the current TNA roster. But who would make the ideal opponent for him? Here are five viable names.

#5. Nic Nemeth (FKA Dolph Ziggler)

Until the start of 2023, it looked like Dolph Ziggler would be a WWE lifer. However, he was released before the end of the year and ended up in TNA Wrestling.

The fact that Ziggler, now wrestling as Nic Nemeth, spent nearly twenty years in WWE prompted TNA Wrestling to strap the rocket to his back. As a result, within a few months of his debut, he became the promotion's World Champion. Thus, given the strong push he received in such a short amount of time, it would make perfect sense for him to represent the company in the event of a high-profile cross-promotional match.

A potential Nemeth vs. Cena match would achieve two objectives. For starters, The Cenation Leader would get to fight someone from TNA who is well-known in the mainstream wrestling circle. Other than that, fans would see it as The GOAT replaying one of his hits from the last decade, as his feud with Ziggler in late 2012 was among the top WWE storylines at that time.

#4. Moose

If WWE actually approves of the idea of Cena wrestling a TNA wrestler, it would be a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Thus, logic would dictate that the Nashville-based promotion might try to push for one of its veteran stars to take on the legendary megastar.

In that potential case, Moose would make for the perfect rival. He has been with the company for nearly nine years now, with two World Championship reigns under his belt. So, it's fair to assume that TNA has a lot of trust in Mr. IMPACT Wrestling as one of the flag-bearers of the promotion.

Given his towering presence and natural heel charisma, fans would easily buy the former NFL star as someone who would give the two-time Royal Rumble winner a run for his money. As for Moose, a match of such a grand scale would be the perfect reward for sticking with the company all these years.

#3. Former three-time WWE World Champion Jeff Hardy

The Charismatic Enigma wrestled John Cena in the summer of 2008, merely a few months before he became an uber-popular main-event talent. Fast forward to 2025, and they've yet to run it back.

Hardy left WWE in 2009 and came back in 2017 when Cena had already transitioned into a part-timer. Even though Jeff Hardy has since struggled with a lot of challenges in his personal life, he still remains a fan-favorite and electrifies the crowd every time his music hits, no matter the size of the arena.

Thus, if WWE and TNA have any plans to do a cross-promotional match this year, they should give the fans what they want and have John Cena and Jeff Hardy battle in a rematch nearly seventeen years in the making. That would be a certified spectacle even before the bell rings.

#2. Ace Austin

Over the last few years, John Cena has become a big advocate for investing in young WWE Superstars who would carry the company in the future. So, it's only fair to assume he holds the same view for other promotions.

Thus, if he is roped in to wrestle a TNA wrestler during his farewell tour, it would be a no-brainer for that opponent to be a promising young star. Ace Austin fits the bill in that regard. At 27 years old, Austin has already wrestled many of the best the Nashville-based company has had to offer. So, if the dream scenario in question becomes a reality, he would be a solid choice to represent the Nashville-based promotion.

Ace Austin is often called the next AJ Styles. And fans are aware of the magic that John Cena is capable of creating when he shares the ring with the original AJ Styles. Therefore, there's no reason why he wouldn't have a standout bout against The One True Ace.

#1. Joe Hendry

If TNA succeeds in getting one of its stars to fight John Cena, chances are that it will likely pick someone who will generate the maximum buzz while standing across the ring from the wrestler-turned-Hollywood star.

That is where Joe Hendry comes in. Despite never being a full-time member of the WWE roster, The Prestigious One is incredibly popular with its fans. The reactions he consistently got during his brief NXT stint last year were beyond outstanding. So, it wouldn't be far-fetched to assume that he would get even louder ovations if he ever showed up to confront one of the most popular stars that the industry has ever seen.

As for Hendry, he acknowledges his popularity and wants to capitalize on it fully. That could be why he expressed interest in facing John Cena. Since he is reportedly signed to TNA for the foreseeable future, this exciting match-up idea could only see the light of day if both companies and Cena greenlight it.