4 career firsts John Cena could achieve on his 2025 WWE retirement tour
John Cena's 2025 WWE retirement tour draws closer by the day as 2024 comes to a close. The Champ will begin the final leg of his career with an appearance on RAW's Netflix debut, after which he will make more than thirty dates throughout the year if all goes to plan. This will give The Franchise a chance to bid farewell to his millions of fans and do certain things for the final time.
However, for all the final matches, titles, main events and so on, it might be more compelling to see The Cenation Leader achieve some firsts. Given all the years Cena has spent in the company and the things he has achieved, there aren't many things he hasn't done. Yet, this could be what makes it all the more special if/when he ties up these loose ends to fill in the very few gaps in his resume.
Here are four career firsts John Cena could achieve on his 2025 WWE retirement tour
#4. John Cena could enter the King Of The Ring tournament for the first time in his WWE career
Over his fifteen-year full-time career in WWE, John Cena did almost everything. He competed in Royal Rumbles, Money In The Bank, Elimination Chamber matches, Hell In A Cell, and every other concept imaginable. However, surprisingly, he never entered a King Of The Ring tournament.
The prestigious event has famously been won by the likes of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bret Hart, and most recently, Gunther, helping create stars. However, its diminished importance in Vince McMahon's latter years meant The Franchise Player was always left out of it. Now that Triple H has restored its prestige, we could see the Cenation Leader compete in it for the very first (and last) time.
He could even win it to earn a Summerslam 2025 opportunity to win his record-breaking 17th world title!
#3. John Cena could compete in War Games for the first time ever
The War Games match concept was created by Dusty Rhodes and became a staple of WCW until it was bought by WWE in 2001. Despite the Stamford-based company having the rights to the famous steel cage match, it was left dormant until 2017, when it was revived in NXT. The popular match finally came to the main roster in 2022 and has since been an annual attraction at the Survivor Series PLE.
John Cena has thus never competed in the match, given that he was already a full-fledged Hollywood star when it first graced the Thanksgiving Spectacle. This could change on his retirement tour if he's available for one last Survivor Series match. The Face That Runs The Place is no stranger to imposing steel structures, and 2025 could see him cross one more off his list before hanging up his jorts.
#2. John Cena could win an NXT Title for the first time ever
![The third brand is virgin territory for the 16-time world champion [Images from WWE.com]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/10/5fbbc-17303612060607-1920.jpg?w=500)
Over the years, John Cena has been no stranger to NXT, making several appearances on the developmental brand. As WWE's top star at the time of its inception, The Cenation Leader often visited the third brand to shine a spotlight on the up-and-coming stars making waves. Even in his latest 2023 eight-week run, Cena appeared to endorse the likes of Trick Williams and Carmelo Hayes.
However, The Champ has never really had a substantial run on the Black and Silver show. On his 2025 retirement tour, he could take a brief foray on Tuesday nights, even winning a championship the way veterans such as Dolph Ziggler and The New Day have done before him. This would massively elevate whichever title he holds and whoever would eventually dethrone him.
Imagine a four week NXT North American title John Cena open challenge run ending with Cena vs, say, Oba Femi!
#1. John Cena could win his first Intercontinental Championship in 2025 to become a WWE Grand Slam champion
John Cena is a record 16-time world and five-time United States champion, two-time Royal Rumble winner, former Mr. Money In The Bank, and more. He has set countless records in almost every aspect of the company's history, putting him in an exclusive club of greats. However, the Intercontinental Title remains arguably the most glaring gap in his career.
The Champ could finally win the iconic mid-card title for the first time in his career, finally becoming a grand slam champion in the process. This would tie up arguably the biggest loose end in his legacy, completing his journey in a way that even a 17th world title might not be able to. Triple H and his creative team have the chance to create potentially the biggest feel-good moment of 2025 with this.
The only question is if they will pull the trigger.