During John Cena’s 2025 retirement tour, the 17-time world champion went head-to-head with a mix of new challengers and old foes, including CM Punk, Randy Orton, R-Truth, Cody Rhodes, Dominik Mysterio, Logan Paul, and Brock Lesnar. Despite these notable matches, Cena’s 2025 schedule was limited, leaving WWE fans eager for more encounters.
With some free dates left in his tour, there were several wrestlers Cena could have faced but didn’t, spanning former rivals, current WWE talents, and stars from other wrestling promotions.
8. RVD
John Cena and RVD famously clashed at ECW’s 2006 One Night Stand in a legendary WWE title match. Although RVD wrestles less frequently now due to his age, his recent AEW matches show he still performs well. WWE could have arranged a special one-time match between Cena and RVD in 2025, but that opportunity was missed.
7. LA Knight
Despite strong fan support, popular WWE star LA Knight didn’t get a chance to face Cena in 2025. The two had allied briefly in 2023 and could have had an interesting storyline, but Knight’s closest shot was losing to Gunther in the Last Time Is Now tournament finals.
6. Edge
Edge, arguably Cena’s greatest rival, joined AEW in 2023 under his real name Adam Copeland. With the WWE-AEW rivalry intensifying and Edge nearing retirement, fans hoping for one last Cena vs. Edge showdown were left disappointed.
5. Jacob Fatu
Considered a rising WWE star and potential opponent for Cena’s last match, Jacob Fatu instead turned babyface in 2025 and struggled with injuries and lackluster feuds, missing his chance to face Cena. Cena had memorable bouts with Fatu’s uncle, Umaga, so a match with Fatu could have created a full-circle moment.
4. Joe Hendry
Joe Hendry openly expressed a desire to wrestle Cena. Although Hendry joined WWE in late 2025 and had a brief match against Randy Orton at WrestleMania, he didn’t get to face Cena, even though a short, cameo-style bout could have excited fans, especially in the UK.
3. Jeff Hardy
Though no longer a full-time WWE wrestler, Jeff Hardy made several NXT appearances in 2025. Cena and Hardy, both beloved babyfaces from 2008–2009, have only one televised singles match together. A surprise open challenge answered by Hardy could have been a fan-favorite highlight.
2. Drew McIntyre
McIntyre, one of WWE’s biggest stars, was once seen as a strong candidate to face Cena in a final match. Unfortunately, their only interaction in 2025 was a forgettable SmackDown tag team match ending in no contest, leaving fans wanting a proper feud or showdown.
1. Oba Femi
Among rising NXT talents, Oba Femi has the most star power, combining size, speed, and skill. Many fans hoped to see Femi challenge Cena in 2025 before Cena’s retirement, but instead, Femi faced Cody Rhodes on Cena’s last show, while Cena wrestled Gunther.
Fan Take: This rundown highlights the missed opportunities in John Cena’s retirement tour, showing just how much excitement and fresh storytelling could have been generated by these dream matches. For WWE fans, these what-ifs underline the importance of carefully planning big moments to honor legends while building the future of the sport.
