Drew McIntyre Hails John Cena as the GOAT for Carrying WWE After Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock

Ahead of his final WWE PLE bout at Survivor Series, John Cena gets honored by Drew McIntyre in a heartfelt admission.

Drew McIntyre Hails John Cena as the GOAT for Carrying WWE After Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock

John Cena and Drew McIntyre (via WWE)

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The John Cena farewell tour has now reached its final two stops. A year-long journey that began with the Netflix premiere of Raw is almost at its conclusion. Cena is slated for his next appearance at Survivor Series on November 29, where he will defend the Intercontinental title against Dominik Mysterio.

Regardless of whether the Hollywood mogul retains the title, his wrestling swan song is set for December 13 at Saturday Night’s Main Event. As a 17-time WWE Champion and the face of the company since 2005, Cena has played a pivotal role in carrying WWE during a period when megastars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, and Brock Lesnar all departed within a year.

With the company in need of a major reboot, Cena stepped up and defined the next decade in WWE, earning praise from countless stars who call him the best to ever do it. One more addition has recently joined that list as Drew McIntyre broke character to heap praise on Cena. 

Long-time rivals, McIntyre and Cena faced each other in tag-team action on the August 8, 2025, episode of SmackDown. Though they haven’t squared off in singles action during Cena’s retirement run, McIntyre recently called the veteran the GOAT of wrestling.

Speaking to ESPN, ‘The Scottish Warrior’ reflected on Cena’s impact and how he filled the void left by greats like The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.

He’s meant everything to our industry. When The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin left WWE, the top superstars like Triple H, Shawn Michaels were at the end of their careers, the company and the world needed somebody to step up into that top position. John stepped up in a massive way for multiple generations.

Drew McIntyre via ESPN

McIntyre also expressed regret over not being part of Cena’s farewell tour, which saw the veteran face stars like CM Punk, Randy Orton, AJ Styles, and Cody Rhodes. Still, he praised Cena as the greatest of all time.

It’s insane to say that he’s about to have his last couple of matches. I’m sad I didn’t get one of them, but I’m glad I’m part of the roster. I’m glad I got to travel the world. I’m glad I got to learn from John Cena because he is a legend, and he may just be the GOAT.

Drew McIntyre via ESPN

While Cena is scheduled to rematch Dominik Mysterio after completing his career Grand Slam on the November 10 segment of Raw in Boston, McIntyre will compete in the men’s WarGames match, teaming with Brock Lesnar, Logan Paul, and The Vision against the babyface team of Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, The Usos, and Roman Reigns.

Dominik Mysterio talks about his upcoming Survivor Series rematch against John Cena

Dominik Mysterio is gearing up for arguably the biggest match of his career as he faces John Cena at Survivor Series in San Diego, a rematch for the Intercontinental title. The bout carries added significance, serving as the penultimate match of Cena’s illustrious career and his final Premium Live Event appearance.

John Cena and Dominik Mysterio
John Cena and Dominik Mysterio (via WWE)

For context, Cena ended Mysterio’s 204-day reign as champion on his final Raw appearance in his hometown of Boston on November 10. Since then, Mysterio has been determined to reclaim the title. The rematch was officially set on the November 17 segment of Raw.

Adding to the intensity, Mysterio mocked the 17-time champion on the November 24 episode by bringing out a ‘mini Cena’ and attacking him as a statement. Despite the stakes, Mysterio appears relaxed heading into the match at Petco Park.

Speaking on Raw Recap with Sam Roberts and Megan Morant, Mysterio dismissed any notion of nerves, instead suggesting that the pressure lies on his opponent. He claimed that Cena is facing the greatest Mysterio of all time and asserted that he is doing him a favor by making the end of his career meaningful.

At the end of the day, like I said, this is just another Saturday for me. John should be thankful that I was willing to make the end of his career meaningful. To give him the opportunity to become a Grand Slam Champion.

Dominik Mysterio via RAW Recap

Mysterio also shared a calm, casual approach to his pre-match routine, noting that he planned to enjoy a California burrito from Ortiz’s taco shop, possibly have a midday snack at In-N-Out Burger, and even some chicken tenders. Confident and focused, he emphasized that he was ready to step into the ring, handle business, defeat Cena, and leave as the new two-time Intercontinental champion.

Backstage, Mysterio is widely regarded as one of the future faces of the company, with stars like Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, and even Cena affirming his potential. He was also named the top entry on ESPN’s ‘Best 30 Wrestlers Under 30’ list, making this rematch a prime opportunity for ‘Dirty Dom’ to make a lasting impact in Cena’s final Premium Live Event appearance.

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