Gunther Rumored to Get the Honor to Retire John Cena in His Swansong on December 13th

WWE is rumored to be holding a tournament to decide John Cena's final opponent with Gunther being the current favorite to get the nod.

Gunther Rumored to Get the Honor to Retire John Cena in His Swansong on December 13th

John Cena and Gunther (via WWE)

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John Cena’s legendary 23-year WWE career is nearing its end, with his official retirement set for 13th December 2025, at Saturday Night’s Main Event inside the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. The 17-time World Champion began his farewell tour in January, facing off against iconic rivals such as CM Punk, Randy Orton, and Cody Rhodes.

Now, as the countdown to his final match continues, fans are buzzing about one big question: Who will be Cena’s last opponent? For the unversed, Cena is set to revisit his classic 2016 rivalry with AJ Styles when the two clash at Crown Jewel in Australia on October 11. 

But according to new reports, his last-ever opponent might be someone he’s never faced one-on-one before. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, the current plan is for Cena’s farewell match to be against Gunther. WRKD Wrestling also reported the same back in July.

Two sources have confirmed that the latest plan is for a tournament to be announced, possibly on the air by Paul Levesque, with top wrestlers vying to be Cena’s last opponent. But, multiple have confirmed it reaches the conclusion that Gunther was the person chosen for the match.

Dave Meltzer via The Wrestling Observer

If these plans go ahead, the former 2-time World Heavyweight Champion would be adding another legendary name to his resume. Earlier this year, he retired Goldberg at the July 12th segment of Saturday Night’s Main Event in Atlanta.

After the Styles match, Cena is only expected to appear four more times before hanging up his boots for good: two episodes of Raw in November, Survivor Series, and finally, his retirement match in December. As for the Austrian juggernaut, he is currently on a hiatus after having surgery to fix his nose.

Gunther recently lost the World Heavyweight title at SummerSlam in a 30-minute marathon to CM Punk. Moreover, the Chicago native then got screwed by Seth Rollins, who cashed in his Money in the Bank and walked out as the new kingpin. It will be interesting to see if ‘The Ring General’ jumps right back into the title picture after his potential outing with Cena. 

Mark Henry pitches Joe Hendry to serve as John Cena’s final WWE opponent

As mentioned earlier, there’s no shortage of names being considered for John Cena’s final opponent. Top WWE stars like Gunther, Dominik Mysterio, and Bron Breakker are among the frontrunners, while nostalgic picks such as The Rock and Edge continue to circulate among fans.

However, a surprising new name has now entered the discussion, one that WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry believes truly deserves the honor. The former World Heavyweight Champion recently explained how Cena’s farewell match could serve as the perfect opportunity to elevate a rising star into superstardom. 

John Cena and Joe Hendry
John Cena and Joe Hendry (via WWE)

Speaking to TMZ, Henry revealed that he believes Joe Hendry should be Cena’s last opponent. ‘The World’s Strongest Man’ emphasized that if Cena genuinely wants to give back to the business, he should use his retirement match to spotlight someone with a long career ahead of them.

Moreover, Henry drew a parallel to Cena’s own breakout moment. Back in 2002, Cena’s iconic ‘Ruthless Aggression’ debut on SmackDown, where he slapped Kurt Angle, made an instant impression and set the tone for his career.

If John Cena wants to give back to the business, you give it to somebody [Joe Hendry] that’s gonna have a career. Just like him, when he came in, and him and Kurt Angle went at it. Him having an initial interaction with Kurt Angle is what forged the level of where he was gonna be. You’ve gotta give it back, you’ve gotta give the rub.

Mark Henry via TMZ

Henry went on to name Hendry as the ideal candidate, pointing out his recent victories over Nic Nemeth and several other top names. He added that if Hendry were to defeat Cena during his retirement run, it would mark a massive turning point in his young career.

As for Hendry, the Scottish star is expected to officially sign with WWE in early 2026, though he’s already been making appearances in NXT thanks to WWE’s ongoing partnership with TNA. The crossover deal has allowed talents like Hendry to appear across brands, including his surprise match against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41.

The 37-year-old is immensely popular for his unique gimmick and catchy theme song and is a former TNA World Heavyweight Champion. While he hasn’t made a full-fledged main roster debut yet, Hendry has appeared in notable moments at the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania.

Recently, he’s been featured in entertaining backstage segments on NXT, often popping up in random situations whenever his name is mentioned, further adding to his growing popularity.

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