John Cena must challenge Gunther for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 41

In 2025, John Cena will be making his WWE return to kick off his retirement tour. Cena made this announcement at Money in the Bank earlier this year, and since then, the Stamford-based promotion has been waiting with anticipation to see the opponents Cena will face in his retirement tour.

While there are many prominent names the 16-time World Champion can face, recent reports suggest WWE is strongly considering booking Cena to challenge for one of the World Championships at WrestleMania 41. Based on the current scenario, it means Cena could either face Cody Rhodes or Gunther.

Hence, if these reports are true and he does end up challenging for a World Title, then Cena must look to challenge Gunther. In this article, we will look at reasons why Cena challenging Gunther makes sense.

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John Cena vs. Gunther is an ideal rivalry

A rivalry in wrestling is thoroughly enjoyed when the two superstars facing each other are peak babyface and peak heel. In the case of John Cena and Gunther, they both fit this criteria perfectly, as Cena is a massive babyface while Gunther is one of the biggest heels on the roster.

Also, in recent times, Gunther has taken shots at WWE legends like Bret Hart and Goldberg. Hence, it would only make sense for another legend like Cena to come into the picture and put Gunther in his place. This same angle would not work well with Cody Rhodes, given Cena and Rhodes are both top babyfaces.

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John Cena could elevate Gunther's career

Until now, Gunther has been booked very dominantly by Triple H. In his rise to becoming World Heavyweight Champion, the Austrian superstar has beaten many top names. However, none of the top names Gunther has beaten will be able to bring him the attention a win over Cena can.

After all, Cena is one of the most respected superstars in WWE. Hence, if Cena agrees to put Gunther over, it would further elevate the champion's career and simply make him a bigger heel, which is beneficial for Gunther and the promotion.

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John Cena could also break a record

The good thing about a potential rivalry between John Cena and Gunther is that anyone can lose, and it won't hurt them. If WWE wants Cena to break the record by winning his 17th World Championship, it could freely do that without worrying about whether the loss would damage Gunther.

Even though Gunther is one of the most acclaimed superstars on the roster, he is young in his career, and a loss to Cena won't hurt him. Also, a plus side to this is the fact that once Cena beats Gunther and becomes a 17-time World Champion, he could lose the title to the Austrian, thus bringing things back to the way they are.