5 WWE Superstars that should retire John Cena

You either love him, or you hate him. Regardless of where you fit in with that sentiment, you most certainly respect him. John Cena has been a fixture in WWE programming for the better part of 20 years now and despite what his detractors say, he has earned every single accolade that has come his way.

It has been a long and highly successful run for John Cena as a WWE Superstar. He has accomplished everything he could achieve and he has always been a positive source of encouragement and leadership in the WWE locker room. Of course, one of John's most well-known achievements has been his work with the Make-a-Wish Foundation. John has personally granted roughly 600 wishes for children battling some form of terminal illness. John has selflessly made an impact on hundreds of kids' lives from all walks of life.

Cena has reached a point in his life where he is being forced to look at his mortality and make a decision how much longer he might want to be an in-ring WWE Superstar. At 42 years old, it's no secret that his greatest days are likely behind him. With that said, he still has time to pass the proverbial torch before riding off into the Florida sunset.

In this column, we will take a look at 5 WWE Superstars who are worthy of being Cena's final foe. Here are 5 WWE Superstars that could retire John Cena.

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#5 Drew McIntyre

Is he still "The Chosen One?"

This one will be unpopular by many of my readers, but I would challenge you to simply think about Drew McIntyre's current status and just how far he has come, in route to becoming a top-tier WWE Superstar.

When Drew was originally signed, Vince McMahon himself dubbed Drew as "The Chosen One" and even went as far as proclaiming to the world that McIntyre was a future world champion. Those were the words directly from the boss himself. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be too long afterward that Drew would join a jobber faction known as 3MB, where Drew would never amount to much more than a radical, Scottish air-guitar player aside his two bandmates, which consisted of a redneck from West Virginia and a Punjabi Indian...yes.

Eventually Drew would be released from his WWE contract in 2014. When he was released, many thought we would never see or hear from McIntyre again. However, Drew had other plans in mind. He would go on to dominate in ever promotion who gave him any attention. It would not take long for Mr. McMahon and crew to take notice that McIntyre may very well have been talented enough to carry that "Chosen One" moniker, had he been given the opportunity. That is why you see him on RAW today, kicking the heads off of the top WWE Superstars in route to a well-deservedly title opportunity that we should see soon. Putting Cena in the ring with McIntyre would certainly give him the rub he needs to get to the next level and be considered a worthy title contender when that time comes.

#4 AJ Styles

AJ has adapted to the WWE way with ease.

Once upon a time, AJ Styles was the most sought-after name in professional wrestling that was not on a WWE roster. AJ had completely dominated all major promotions outside of the WWE but, for whatever reason, Styles appeared to be untouchable in regards to jumping there. That was, at least, until the 2016 Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

Before signing his WWE contract, Styles accomplished an entire career's worth of accolades. He won the IWGP Heavyweight Championship twice, the NWA Championship three times and the TNA Championship two times, as well as many other titles before his WWE stint ever began. AJ was globally known as one of the very best professional wrestlers on the entire planet and on January 24, 2016, he made his official debut as a WWE Superstar at the 29th annual Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

Since becoming a WWE Superstar, AJ has not let anyone down. He has done extremely well as he has remained on top of the main roster as one of the best Superstars of this era. When it comes to retiring John Cena, this has "big money" potential. Both Cena and Styles have had very successful careers and just the idea of Styles vs. Cena at a major pay-per-view could be one for the record books.

#3 Ricochet

He's not your indie darling anymore!

There was a time, not too long ago, in which independent wrestling was inundated with a plethora of extremely talented stars. From coast-to-coast and around the world, independent wrestling was where you went for the best in in-ring entertainment.

With that said, WWE still ruled the roost by way of programming budgets and simple name recognition. However, the smaller guys of professional wrestling were finally getting some long-overdue respect and out of those smaller promotions, names like Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, reDRagon and Ricochet were among some of those sought-after names that seemed untouchable, even for WWE officials.

This wasn't because WWE was attractive anymore, but rather some of these guys could stay on the independent scene, work less and make a good living. But at the end of the day, the name WWE can be very persuasive when they see something - or someone - they want.

Fast forward through an unbelievable wrestling career thus far, and now we have Ricochet on the WWE main roster. Not only do we have him, but he is propelling to the top extremely fast. Over the past several months, we have witnessed the potential that this man has and the money that can be made. Having him run a brief feud against John Cena would only enhance his status even further and put him in the position to possibly main event WrestleMania sooner than later.

#2 The Miz

He is STILL awesome!

If you don't mind, let us take a brief trip back in time...back to a time when The Miz was red hot. He was on such a great streak that he would eventually headline WrestleMania. Folks, no matter what your feelings are towards The Miz, you must at least acknowledge the success he enjoyed during this time in his career.

After rising to the top of the wrestling world, The Miz would continue to enjoy a wealth of success which would lead him to several opportunities outside of the ring. These opportunities would prove to enhance his confidence, which would, in turn, help him become a much better in-ring performer.

Some of the best moments that The Miz ever had were with John Cena. These two had undeniable chemistry in the ring, which translated into some epic battles. Personally, I would love to see these two link back up for one final showdown before Cena rides off into the sunset. This would also create a catalyst for The Miz to conclude his own epic career.

#1 Bray Wyatt

Just...let...him...in.

If you take a quick mental trip back in time, back to the end of 2013, through the first half of 2014, you may recall a very entertaining feud between John Cena and the self-proclaimed Eater of Worlds, Bray Wyatt. This was a storyline that would go back and forth, offering an angle that was one of the most intense and entertaining feuds of this era.

The story involving Wyatt and Cena would eventually culminate with Wyatt losing to Cena at Wrestlemania 30. While the Mania match itself was rather disappointing, there was plenty of unforgettable moments leading up to Wrestlemania, as well as the weeks following it.

One example of a moment that made this feud incredible was just a couple of weeks following show during the April 28, 2014 episode of RAW. On this episode, Bray was accompanied by a children's choir as they serenaded John Cena in one of the creepiest, yet intriguing segments of this entire feud.

Cena and Wyatt offered fans a fantastic and compelling story that was executed almost flawlessly by both WWE Superstars. The only problem I had with the entire angle, was the fact that Bray still seemed to come up short despite really needing this type of rub at this point in his career. With that said, Bray is back and absolutely on fire with the WWE Universe. There has never been a better time than now to feed Cena to Wyatt, which could propel the Eater of Worlds to the very top.