First challenge officially laid down to John Cena as part of his WWE Retirement Tour
As John Cena prepares to wrap up his in-ring career next year, several WWE Superstars have expressed their desire to face The Franchise Player one last time. The latest to do so is Kevin Owens.
The Cenation leader played a pivotal role in helping put The Prizefighter on the map early on in the latter's career. Kevin Owens made a memorable main roster debut by defeating John Cena at the Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event on May 31, 2015.
In an interview with Lewis Browning of the Daily Mail, the Canadian wrestler expressed his desire to face Cena on May 31, 2025, to mark the 10th anniversary of their historic first match.
"Funnily enough, I'm going to put it out there now. I’ve noticed that May 31, 2025, which would be the 10th anniversary of our first match together at Elimination Chamber. [It] is a Saturday night, which lends itself incredibly well to WWE events, and maybe even a PLE. Who knows? Of course, I want to be one of [John] Cena’s opponents in his last year, but if it could happen that night, that would be pretty incredible—10 years to the day after the first one. But obviously, I’d be happy to face him at any point," Owens said. [H/T: Fightful]
What's next for John Cena?
John Cena hasn't appeared on TV since announcing his Farewell Tour at Money in the Bank earlier this year.
The Greatest of All Time is expected to work around 30-40 dates throughout 2025. The veteran appeared at this year's WrestleMania XL and attacked Solo Sikoa and Roman Reigns during the Bloodline Rules Match for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship on Night Two.
The following night, he joined forces with Awesome Truth (R-Truth and The Miz) for a tag team match against The Judgment Day (Finn Balor, Dominik Mysterio, and JD McDonagh) on RAW.
Speaking of WrestleMania XL, the 47-year-old legend came face-to-face with Dwayne Johnson, who laid him out with a Rock Bottom. The two stalwarts headlined back-to-back WrestleMania in 2012 and 2013, respectively.
Could the two men finish their trilogy in Las Vegas next year? Only time will tell.