5 first-time things John Cena could do after winning the Undisputed WWE Championship
John Cena has rightfully earned the nickname of the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). With over 20 years in WWE and being the face of the company for a decade, Cena has done it all, so it seemed. At WrestleMania 41, he defeated Rhodes to win his record-setting 17th World Championship, becoming the Undisputed WWE Champion for the first time.
As Cena begins his retirement tour, fans are buzzing with excitement over what he might do next. Surprisingly, there are still a few major first-time achievements he could check off his legendary list. Here’s a look at five such possibilities he can do after winning.
#5. John Cena challenges for the NXT title in hopes of further ruining wrestling
With John Cena now holding the Undisputed WWE Championship, fans are wondering who he’ll defend it against. While many dream matches are possible, one name that’s likely off the list is NXT Champion Oba Fami.
Speaking on the No Contest Wrestling Podcast, Oba shared his thoughts on a possible match with Cena:
“ I wish. I wish. But he’s in the twilight of his career. He is winding down, I am just getting started. I don’t know if our parts are going to cross in that fashion, I hope it does, but I don’t think so.” (H/T - Ringside News)
It’s clear that a Cena vs Oba Femi clash is unlikely, but the idea of Cena holding the NXT title - a belt he’s never competed for - would certainly shake things up a bit in unexpected ways.
#4. Forces WWE to run another King of the Ring, as he’s never won it
Despite all his accolades, John Cena has never competed in the King of the Ring tournament. This tournament was once a key part of WWE, often used to elevate mid-card stars into the main event scene.
John Cena wasn’t in WWE during the 2002 tournament, and although the event returned in 2008 and 2010, he still didn’t participate. But now, with him chasing never-done-before accomplishments, winning King of the Ring could be a fun and fresh achievement for his farewell tour.
Last year, the company held a King and Queen of the Ring, but the 17-time World Champion was not in it. Interestingly, reports suggest the Stamford-based promotion doesn’t plan to bring the tournament back this year, but if anyone can force WWE’s hand - it’s John Cena.
#3. Finally, go after the Intercontinental Title- the only belt he’s never held
Despite being a 17-time World Champion, a multi-time United States Champion, and a tag team title holder, Cena has never held the IC title. It’s the one title that’s kept him from becoming a Grand Slam Champion.
Back in the day, The Cenation Leader did have some IC title encounters. He and Rob Van Dam faced off in a tag team title defense in 2006, and Cena had non-televised IC title matches against Bad News Barrett in 2015 and Roman Reigns in 2017. But he never won the belt.
Now in 2025, Dominik Mysterio holds the Intercontinental Championship. If Cena were to challenge him, possibly in an open challenge scenario, it could be the perfect way to finally complete his Grand Slam.
#2. Defeat Roman Reigns in a singles match
John Cena has done almost everything in WWE- except defeat Roman Reigns in a one-on-one match.
At No Mercy 2017, Reigns beat Cena in what many saw as a “passing of the torch” moment. They faced off again at SummerSlam 2021 in a Universal Championship match that had fans on the edge of their seats, but once again, Cena came up short. That match ended with Brock Lesnar's return.
Now, in 2025, the roles have changed. Reigns is no longer the Universal Champion- he lost it to Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 40, ending his historic run. And John Cena? He just defeated Rhodes to become Undisputed Champion.
With The Bloodline storyline over, a clean one-on-one win over Reigns would mean a lot for Cena. It’s a missing piece in their rivalry and would be a powerful moment before he retires.
#1. Wins the World Heavyweight title and threatens to unify both world championships
Back in 2013, Cena and Orton met in a historic TLC title unification match. John Cena entered as the World Heavyweight Champion, and Randy Orton as the WWE Champion. The Viper won the match, unifying the titles into one and retiring the World Heavyweight Championship.
Now, things have changed. Cena is the Undisputed WWE Champion, and Jey Uso is the current World Heavyweight Champion, after defeating Gunther at WrestleMania 41. If John Cena decides to chase Jey and win the World Heavyweight title, he could hold both major championships at once, something only a few have done.
He could even tease another unification match, bringing nostalgic moments from 2013. It would be a bold move and the perfect way to cap off John Cena’s iconic career with a bang.
John Cena has almost done everything in WWE- but not everything. With his final year in the company already underway, there’s still time for The Cenation Leader to surprise us one last time. Whether it’s finally beating Reigns, completing the Grand Slam, or pulling off another unification match, Cena still had plenty of time “firsts” left to conquer.
Knowing Cena, he might just check off all five before he says goodbye.