5 WWE Superstars who should face John Cena before he retires
WWE Superstar John Cena is on a level that most professional wrestlers strive to emulate. Since his debut as "The Prototype," Cena has had a meteoric rise to superstardom and has become one of the greatest of all time.
During his early years with the developmental roster, Cena trained and competed with other greats such as Brock Lesnar, Bobby Lashley, and Batista, just to name a few.
John Cena has enjoyed just as much success outside of the ring as he has in the ring. Cena has been an award-winning actor, philanthropist, and a great humanitarian. One of his most notable achievements is his participation with The Make-a-Wish Foundation. As of this writing, Cena has granted over 650 wishes through the charitable program.
Cena recently returned to television after a brief hiatus. He also made an in-ring return at WWE's Superstar Spectacle, which recently took place in India. Cena is expected to stick around for a bit, but his creative future has yet to be disclosed.
With that said, there are numerous WWE Superstars who would benefit tremendously from competing against John Cena. Here is our list of five WWE Superstars who should face John Cena before he retires.
#5 - Former NXT Champion Bron Breakker
Bron Breakker is a second-generation star from the legendary Steiner family. Breakker signed with the company in 2020 and almost immediately became a star with the NXT brand. He is an in-ring natural and has inherited many of the characteristics that made his father such an incredible performer.
At this point in his career, Bron is ready to make the jump to the main roster. He has already held the NXT Championship twice, and he's been completely dominant throughout his run. Bron would be an ideal candidate to run a program with John Cena. Breakker could use this opportunity to propel his career into main-event superstardom.
#4 - LA Knight
Some people may not realize this, but LA Knight has 20 years to his credit as a professional wrestler. He established himself early on as Eli Drake while working the independent scene, as well as TNA/IMPACT Wrestling. During his time with IMPACT, he started gaining more attention thanks to his entertaining persona and overall body of work.
Eli Drake signed with WWE in early 2021 and made his NXT debut as LA Knight. He has since made his way to the main roster and has never been more popular than he is right now.
Knight's sudden surge in popularity is a tribute to how well he connects with the WWE Universe. Having the opportunity to compete against someone the caliber of John Cena would only accelerate Knight's current run to the top.
#3 - Jey Uso
The Bloodline saga is one of the most compelling and entertaining storylines in recent memory, centered around Roman Reigns as The Tribal Chief and the rest of the family serving beneath him, including Jey Uso. However, Jey used this angle as an opportunity to break out on his own, and it appears he is headed to the top.
Jey Uso is an established tag team veteran with eight WWE Tag Team Championship reigns to his credit. With The Usos recently falling out, Jey's future appears to be geared toward a massive singles run.
Jey recently went to war with Roman Reigns in a 35-plus minute Tribal Combat match. Moving forward, he needs another main-event caliber superstar to battle. John Cena certainly fits the bill and could give Main Event Jey the rub he needs.
#2 - Longest-reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion of all-time, Gunther
For years, the WWE Intercontinental Championship has been considered a second-tier title. It had lost much of its prominence since the early years of its existence when it was held by superstars like Macho Man Randy Savage, Chris Jericho, and Mr. Perfect.
That has changed now that Gunther has pumped new life into the title, recently surpassing The Honky Tonk Man as the longest-reigning Intercontinental Champion in WWE history.
Since Gunther was elevated to the main roster, he has done nothing but exceed all expectations. He's a big, strong-style type of performer who has already had some iconic moments in his WWE career. Gunther started to really turn heads in the 2023 Royal Rumble match when he entered the match as the first participant and lasted over one hour before finally being eliminated by the eventual winner, Cody Rhodes.
Gunther is ready to move up the ladder. As the current Intercontinental Champion, his next move is into the main-event spotlight and contention for a world title. John Cena could be the catalyst that helps Gunther get to that next level.
#1 - The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes made his triumphant WWE return at WrestleMania 38, defeating Seth Rollins. Since his return, Cody has been electric. The WWE Universe is in love with the creative freedom Cody now enjoys, as he appears to be able to just be himself, as opposed to a forced gimmick like Stardust.
Cody has competed at the highest level since his return to WWE. Despite coming up short, he battled Roman Reigns in the main event at WrestleMania 39. Rhodes has also competed against Brock Lesnar in a brutal feud, which culminated with Cody defeating Brock at SummerSlam 2023. A feud with John Cena would be a natural progression that fans would easily get behind.