5 matches John Cena needs to have before he retires
Love him or hate him, John Cena has defined modern-day professional wrestling in a way that no other individual has been able to over the past couple of decades. There might be an army of superstars that fans prefer to see in the ring, but because of how strongly the WWE machine has been behind him all these years when Cena steps inside the ropes it immediately feels like a huge deal.
There have been rumours lately that a John Cena vs. Kurt Angle match might be on the cards. While this would be a fun, nostalgia-filled experience for many, it also indicates that the leader of the Cenation might be coming towards the end of his wrestling career - at least on a permanent basis. A Cena match doesn't necessarily need a coherent feud behind it anymore, he can basically just rely on a series of marquee events like this one.
So, with that in mind, are there any other matches that 'Big Match John' still needs to have before hanging up his boots forever? Here are 5 possible options:
#1 Samoa Joe
One of the many reasons behind the success of NXT over the years has been its ability to attract non-WWE superstars who were able to make a name for themselves outside of the Vince McMahon bubble. Since the fall of WCW in 2001, the WWE really has been the only show in town, with a select few individuals able to get themselves over by their sheer determination to put on 5-star wrestling matches on a consistent basis.
One of these men has been Samoa Joe. Unlike other NXT graduates, Joe was brought up to the main roster with an already-made army of fans. His time on NXT, while impressive, felt like more of an unnecessary stepping stone, whetting the appetite of fans who have longed to see the big man on a RAW or Smackdown stage.
Earlier this year we got to see Joe take on Brock Lesnar, a dream match in anyone's book. Despite failing to capture the Universal Championship, the former TNA favourite still managed to take the beast to the limit and only helped cement the man's legacy going forward. However, there is one man that fans are still desperate for Samoa Joe to meet one-on-one.
Joe vs. Cena has money written all over it. Very much like Cena's first meeting with AJ Styles a couple of years ago, this has the potential to capture the past 10-15 years of wrestling inside one ring. While WWE has undoubtedly been the industry leader over this time period, people like Joe were seen as the last desperate stand against the McMahon monopoly, pulling numbers away from the company and giving them hope of something different and refreshing.
With the right booking, this could easily be turned into a narrative asking who the better man really over the years. Hopefully, there is enough time for these legends to go at it, ideally on the grandest stage possible.