John Cena's Last Opponent: 3 Better Picks Than Gunther

Peter Klein

John Cena's final match is at Saturday Night's Main Event next month. Everyone assumes Gunther wins the tournament and gets the honor - and that's probably right. But let's throw out some dark horse candidates who could create magic in Cena's retirement match. Three wrestlers who SHOULD be in the conversation for John Cena's last opponent.  🤼 THE EXPECTED PICK: GUNTHER Yeah, Gunther probably wins the "Last Time Is Now" tournament and faces Cena in his final match. It makes sense:  Dominant heel Resume-building win Takes the rub to next level Keeps him in main event during title picture logjam (Seth/Bronson/Punk)  My original hope: Bron Breakker gets this moment. His big main event launching pad. But Gunther works too. But what if WWE went a different direction?  🌟 DARK HORSE #1: LA KNIGHT The most "ready" of my dark horse picks. Why LA Knight Makes Sense:  Real star over the last couple years For whatever reason, WWE won't fully commit to him as main event guy THIS could be that moment - lock him in as main event talent Critical Point: Cena won't be there to build shows anymore after Monday's last TV appearance LA Knight is MORE than capable on the mic to create intrigue beyond just "it's Cena's last match" Could really sink his teeth into this creatively Give us a whole lot to be excited about  LA Knight could MAKE this retirement angle with his promos alone.  🔥 DARK HORSE #2: PENTA The "match of the year" candidate. Why Penta Makes Sense:  Needs a BIG boost after underwhelming first year in WWE Penta vs John Cena = match we never thought we'd see Would be INCREDIBLE in-ring Resets everything after disappointing debut year Storyline purposes: Honestly? I don't know what it does But the MATCH itself would be spectacular  Sometimes you don't need complex story - just give us an amazing match for Cena's sendoff.  ⭐ DARK HORSE #3: CARMELO HAYES (with a twist) The "helping multiple stars" option. Why Carmelo Makes Sense:  Feels like WWE dropped the ball with him But Trick Williams is done with NXT after Last Man Standing with Ricki Starks Start a FACTION: Carmelo at the front with Trick Williams Add Lani Jordan (they've been teasing her with Trick) The Manager: BOOKER T  Why Booker T?  Big ups guys on commentary, especially goes extra mile for Trick Booker had feuds with Cena - easy tie-in Now you have a new dominant faction going into 2026  The Big Picture: Instead of Cena's retirement helping ONE performer (Gunther), now it helps THREE (Carmelo, Trick, Lani) plus elevates Booker as manager.  🎯 WHY THESE DARK HORSES MATTER: LA Knight: Solves WWE's hesitation to push him, creates incredible promos Penta: Dream match, resets his WWE run Carmelo: Helps multiple stars, creates new faction, Booker T involvement  🎧 Listen on: Apple https://apple.co/49NGm2L | Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3QgazeHcSKSteZbBIubcuM

Transcript

00:00John Cena is coming toward his final match.

00:04A lot of people have a pretty strong assumption of who it's going to be against,

00:07but let's throw a couple dark horses out there anyway,

00:10as we get ready for John Cena's last match next month.

00:24Alright, John Cena taking on, question mark,

00:27at Saturday Night's main event in a few weeks for his last match.

00:32A lot of people are assuming that it's Gunther who is going to win the tournament

00:35and dethrone John Cena and kind of take that to the next level.

00:39And I want to say, that would be my pick too.

00:42My first, when this whole thing started,

00:44my first hope is that Braun Breaker would get that,

00:47and that would be his big main event moment.

00:51The real kind of launching of him into the main event picture.

00:55But, I think Gunther is a good one here too.

00:57Someone kind of pointed out, like there may be an opportunity,

01:00it might be a bit before he's back in the title picture,

01:03with the whole Seth, Braun Breaker, CM Punk,

01:06that whole kind of vortex happening on one side.

01:09It might be difficult for Gunther to get back into that title picture.

01:12So get him a big win, keep him in the main event,

01:14and give him kind of a big resume building thing,

01:18as this dominant person.

01:20And that this dominant heel, that just took away our hero.

01:24So I do think that is the one that makes the most sense.

01:26But I have three guys who I think you could do something very interesting with.

01:30The first one is LA Knight.

01:32Any, hey, could this guy be something?

01:35LA Knight is going to be included in it for most wrestling fans.

01:37He has just been a real star over the last couple of years.

01:42And it feels like, for whatever reason,

01:44there's just not a confidence with him to fully commit to him

01:47as a main event guy.

01:49I think that you could really lock something in with LA Knight

01:53as this real main event talent.

01:56Also, John Cena's not going to be there.

01:59Like, Monday was his last television.

02:01He is not going to be there to build these shows up anymore.

02:05LA Knight, more than capable on the mic

02:08to really, really create a lot of intrigue

02:11in a last match promotion

02:14that isn't just, it's John Cena's last match.

02:17I think he could really, really sink his teeth into that creatively

02:20and give us a whole lot to be excited about.

02:23Up next is Penta.

02:24I just think he needs a big boost.

02:27I think that match would be incredible.

02:29I think it would be a match that we just never thought of.

02:32Penta against John Cena.

02:34I, the storyline purposes, like, I don't know what it does,

02:37but I do think it kind of resets things

02:39after what has been a bit of an underwhelming opening year

02:42for Penta in the WWE.

02:46And the last one is Carmelo.

02:50Again, I feel like there's been a bit of a ball drop here with him,

02:53but after Trick Williams' last man standing with Ricky Saints,

02:57Trick, I think, is pretty well done with the NXT stuff.

03:02I think you could start a very big, like, faction type of thing

03:08with Carmelo at the front of it and Trick Williams also.

03:12And, like, they've been kind of teasing Trick and Kalani Jordan together.

03:15You could bring her in as well.

03:17I think there is really something you could do to really jumpstart that.

03:21And now you are turning the John Cena retirement thing,

03:24instead of it helping out one performer, now it helps out three.

03:28Also, I have just said, I know Booker big ups a lot of guys on commentary.

03:33I, like, he goes the extra mile in standing up for Trick.

03:37I do wonder if there is a thing where Booker T could be the manager

03:41of a Carmelo, Trick, and Kalani Jordan group.

03:47And you could kind of tie in, like, Booker T, he had feuds with John Cena.

03:51You could tie that in pretty easily.

03:53And now you have a new dominant faction going into 2026.

03:56So, those are just the, some of the other ones that could win,

04:00but won't, because Gunther probably is going to,

04:03as we get ready for Saturday night's main event.

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