Triple H To Announce Tournament That Could Shape John Cena’s Retirement Match
While fans await John Cena vs AJ Styles at Crown Jewel on October 11, Triple H and company have quietly finalized the opponent for what’s expected to be Cena’s final match on December 13, according to Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer.
WWE is lining up a big swing for John Cena's farewell. While everyone waits for Cena vs. AJ Styles at Crown Jewel on October 11, the company has reportedly locked in a plan for Cena's actual last match on December 13. And yeah, the rumored opponent is exactly the kind of choice that makes sense and still gets people buzzing: Gunther.
The plan, as of right now
Dave Meltzer reported on Wrestling Observer Figure Four Online that WWE has chosen Gunther to face Cena in the retirement match. Bryan Alvarez echoed that on YouTube, adding a very WWE flourish: one of the upcoming shows will see Paul Levesque (Triple H) announce a tournament to determine Cena's final opponent. The internal expectation, per those reports, is that Gunther will win that tournament and meet Cena on December 13. Multiple sources have backed that framework and the Gunther pick.
So, translation: they want the story on TV to be a tournament, but behind the scenes the destination is already set for Gunther.
Cena's take: he is not picking the dance partner
If you are wondering whether Cena is cool with all this, he already answered that. At Fan Expo Boston on September 15, the 48-year-old was asked who he wants for his last match. His answer was very 'classic Cena' and makes the whole Gunther plan feel pretty on-brand for him.
"I have been doing this for 23 years, and I have never once chosen my opponents. Life throws you opportunities every day and you do the best you can with what you get. So whoever challenges me for that last one, I am going to give it my best shot. I do not want to pick an opponent."
In other words, WWE books it, he wrestles it.
Why Gunther?
Inside baseball alert: if you are scripting a final match for someone like Cena, Gunther checks a lot of boxes. He is 38, credible, physical, and positioned as a top guy of the current era. Putting him across from Cena is equal parts passing the torch and making sure the match hits hard, literally and figuratively.
Will retirement actually stick?
Wrestling retirements come in two flavors: the heartfelt goodbye and the 'see you in a year.' Ric Flair, who has lived both versions, weighed in last week in an interview with Escapist Magazine. He loves the guy, but from where he is sitting, Cena should probably enjoy the movie-star life and resist the itch to come back full-time.
"John is making so damn much money in the movies right now. He does not need to do anything else. I hope that he will walk away and stay away. But wrestling is very addictive. When you have done it as long as John has, over 20 years, it is hard to change your way of life."
That is the tug-of-war for every legend: the pop vs. the paycheck. Cena, to his credit, seems fully committed to leaving the right way. Whether that holds after the lights go down is the part nobody can script.
Key dates and what to watch
- October 11: Cena vs. AJ Styles at Crown Jewel. Not the retirement match, but a big checkpoint on the way there.
- Upcoming TV: Expect Triple H to announce a tournament to crown Cena's final opponent. The working plan has Gunther winning it.
- December 13: Cena's farewell match, with Gunther lined up as the opponent if the current plan sticks.
Bottom line: the road to Cena's finale looks set, the presentation will be a tournament, and the destination is Gunther. It is a smart choice, a tough matchup, and exactly the kind of closing chapter that feels worthy of a 23-year run.