Ric Flair's record, Blockbuster first-time-ever match - 4 reasons John Cena cannot retire after WWE Crown Jewel 2023
John Cena's future is uncertain upon the conclusion of his match with Solo Sikoa. The Champ lost a crucial encounter to The Enforcer of The Bloodline, who annihilated Cena with ten Samoan Spikes to deliver an emphatic statement.
Amid a sea of passionate fans, an emotional Cena arose to briefly soak in a massive ovation from Riyadh. Michael Cole delivered a heartfelt tribute on commentary as "The Greatest Of All Time" headed backstage with the crowd chanting "Thank You, Cena."
There were clear indications of Cena's impending retirement. However, here, we reverse the argument and dig deep into 4 reasons why John Cena cannot retire after WWE Crown Jewel 2023.
#4. John Cena must win his record-setting seventeenth World Championship
There are very few hardcore wrestling fans who don't want The Champ to break Ric Flair's long-standing record, and win that historic 17th World Title. John Cena is only one championship away from redefining history, and it'd be unfortunate if he misses out on this ripe opportunity.
At this point, Cena's chances of winning a World Title are incredibly thin. He already had a fair shot against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam 2021, which he convincingly lost. The Tribal Chief is in no mood to hand out another opportunity to The Cenation Leader.
Seth "Freakin" Rollins is also in the middle of an impressive World Heavyweight Title reign. Compared to Reigns' championship, Cena has a slightly larger chance of winning RAW's top prize.
Despite the limited chances, Cena should have at least one more World Title match in hopes of breaking Flair's record.
#3. "The Greatest of All Time" didn't lose a legitimate, binding retirement match to Solo Sikoa
Heading into WWE Crown Jewel 2023, The Leader of the Cenation repeatedly acknowledged that he hadn't won a single televised one-on-one encounter since April 2018. Cena hadn't tasted singles victory in over 2000 days, thus he was pretty desperate to win.
Thus, it was more of a "must-win" match than a farewell encounter. It wasn't a legitimate, binding retirement bout that would have forced Cena to retire upon defeat. Moreover, if it were his final match, it would have received much more hype.
Compare the match against Solo Sikoa to Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair or Baron Corbin vs. Kurt Angle. In the case of the former, it was a career-threatening bout. In the case of the latter, it was publicly advertised as Angle's swan song. Cena's battle with Sikoa had no such advertisement.
#3. John Cena's retirement match should occur at WrestleMania
Even if John Cena's encounter against Sikoa at WWE Crown Jewel 2023 was his final match, it would be pretty underwhelming. The 16-time World Champion has left an indelible footprint on the wrestling industry; Michael Cole fittingly calls him "The Greatest of All Time."
Thus, a star of his caliber must retire on the biggest stage available to sports entertainment - WrestleMania. The Grandest Stage of Them All is tailor-made for occasions like farewell matches, especially for the larger-than-life superstars.
Despite a stacked show with a massive crowd in a stadium, Crown Jewel does not carry the same significance and prestige as The Showcase of Immortals will.
#1. John Cena vs. Logan Paul must happen before the former hangs up the boots
If John Cena has one last encounter left in him, it should happen against Logan Paul. The Champ vs. The Maverick may be the biggest encounter WWE could book right now.
In terms of the entertainment value, Cena vs. Paul could be special. Both men are experts on the mic, and don't hesitate to bring real-life controversy into their promos. Thus, their grilling verbal confrontations would be thoroughly entertaining.
As for the in-ring quality of a potential bout, Paul has proven himself more than capable of carrying Cena to a wonderful match. Thus, there is little reason not to book this once-in-a-lifetime dream encounter.