John Cena Poised To Capture One Last WWE Title Before Retirement As Final Showdown With Gunther Nears
With only two matches left before retirement, John Cena could be handed one last title reign as Triple H maps out a blockbuster sendoff ending in a final showdown with Gunther, according to Wrestling Observer Newsletter.
John Cena has two matches left before he calls it a career, and there is a very WWE way this could all go down: give him the one title he has never held, then feed him to the most dominant bruiser in the company.
The rumor: Cena could chase the one belt he never won
Per the Wrestling Observer Newsletter — and echoed on social this week by wrestle news accounts — there have been internal talks about Cena beating Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship. That would set up Cena rolling into his farewell match against Gunther with the IC strap on his shoulder.
A couple of pieces to underline here:
- The Intercontinental title is the only WWE championship missing from Cena's 23-year resume. Winning it would finally make the record-setting 17-time world champion a Grand Slam Champion.
- Cena vs Dominik is already booked for Survivor Series 2025, and it is in San Diego — Dominik's backyard. If they pull the trigger there, it is a classic WWE swing-for-the-fences move: local heel heat for Dirty Dom, career-capper stakes for The Franchise Player.
The retirement match still points to Gunther
Cena's last dance is set for December 13, 2025 at Saturday Night's Main Event against Gunther. The expectation, if this IC detour happens, is pretty straightforward: Cena wins the belt from Dominik, then drops it to Gunther on the way out. Clean, tidy, and very on-brand for how WWE likes to send legends home.
And for Gunther, that would be a flex. The 38-year-old already owns the longest Intercontinental reign in company history at 666 days. His singles title runs do not do 'short'; the guy basically does not have single-digit-day reigns on his record. Taking the IC title back while being the one to retire John Cena would be a monster feather in his cap, even if it is a brief detour from the World Heavyweight Championship lane he usually occupies.
Dates, places, and what is actually confirmed
- Cena vs Dominik Mysterio happens at Survivor Series 2025 in San Diego. That is official.
- Cena vs Gunther happens December 13, 2025 at Saturday Night's Main Event. That is official — and it is being framed as Cena's retirement match.
- The 'Cena wins the IC, then loses it to Gunther' path is being discussed internally. Not official. Yet. But if Triple H wants the neatest possible bow on Cena's run, this is it.
Meanwhile, 2K is cashing in with a farewell DLC
On the video game side, 2K Games has rolled out a John Cena Farewell Tour Edition for WWE 2K25 as a paid add-on. It is priced at $14.99 / £13.49 and, according to Video Games Chronicle, includes extras like Ron Cena (R-Truth's Cena persona) and the Doctor of Thuganomics version of Cena. A first look earlier this month also highlighted new models labeled John Cena (WrestleMania 42) and John Cena (Retro), with more content still to be announced.
A couple caveats: this Farewell DLC is not part of the WWE 2K25 season pass, so it is a separate purchase. If you do not own the base game, there is the WWE 2K25 Bloodline Edition at $149.99 / £139.99, which bundles the game plus all DLC released so far.
The read
If the plan sticks, it is a neat, slightly chaotic lap for Cena: grab the last belt he has never touched, become a Grand Slam Champ, then do the honors for the most protected guy on the roster. It checks the legacy box and gives Gunther yet another accolade on top of a historic IC run. Very WWE, in the best way.
Do you want Cena to snag the IC in San Diego before handing it to Gunther on his way out, or should he ride off without that last piece of hardware?