3 John Cena dream matches that will never happen
John Cena's farewell tour is set to begin in January 2025 with The Champ set to compete in the Men's Royal Rumble. Cena's retirement run will be an emotional and entertaining one as he battles the stars of today and yesterday.
During the next 12 months, Cena is expected to battle with fresher talents. Names like Gunther and Logan Paul have made many rounds. Meanwhile, the 16-time World Champion is also expected to battle previous foes like Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and CM Punk.
For this list, we will look at some Cena dream matches that will never happen:
#3. John Cena vs. Hiroshi Tanahashi
John Cena and Hiroshi Tanahashi occupied similar roles in two different worlds. Hiroshi Tanahashi carried New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) through its darkest days. On the contrary, Cena stepped up to fill massive shoes in the wake of The Attitude Era.
The Ace of NJPW and The Franchise Player never crossed paths due to The Forbidden Door being closed as WWE seldom allowed its superstars to compete outside of its shadow. Nonetheless, all hopes perished when Tanahashi announced his retirement.
The Leader of the Cenation will not meet his counterpart from Japan. Like Kenny Omega faced Chris Jericho in January 2018, WWE should have arranged a colossal dream encounter between Cena and Tanahashi.
#2. The Leader of the Cenation never battled the Texas Rattlesnake
Stone Cold Steve Austin's retirement in 2003 paved the way, and in many ways, forced WWE to create new stars. John Cena took up the responsibility and became the company's biggest star since The Attitude Era.
However, Austin has always flirted with the idea of an in-ring return and The Texas Rattlesnake even came back for one match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38.
Unfortunately at 58, The Rattlesnake is unlikely to return from retirement again. Hence, Cena vs. Austin, as enthralling as it may have been, will likely not happen during The Champ's farewell tour.
#1. John Cena vs. Samoa Joe
This one should have happened a long time ago. John Cena and Samoa Joe crossed paths at the outset of their illustrious careers, but their trajectories diverged.
Joe made a name for himself in TNA and ROH, becoming a top name in the wrestling business. Fortunately, The Samoan Submission Machine arrived in WWE in 2015 and was on the same brand as Cena in 2017.
Before The Champ began feuding with Roman Reigns after SummerSlam 2017, WWE teased a dream match between Cena and Joe as they crossed paths in a Tag Team match on RAW. They also had a confrontation at Survivor Series of the same year.
However, injuries and Cena's limited schedule prevented a full-fledged program from coming to fruition.