John Cena WWE

John Cena Sets Record Straight On Choosing His Final WWE Opponent

Originally posted on Wrestling on SI | By Rick Ucchino | Last updated Aug 12, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The identity of John Cena's final opponent remains a mystery, but the days before we all find out who it will be are falling off the calendar fast.

The Never Seen 17-Time World Champion has less than a dozen appearances left in his farewell tour, and far fewer matches most likely.

Being the last man to ever lock-up with the future WWE Hall of Famer is a highly coveted spot, but according to Cena, whomever gets the honor will be chosen by the creative team.

“I’ve been doing this for 23 years, and I’ve never once chosen my opponent,” Cena told Justin Barrasso in a new interview for the Boston Herald. “I’ve always lived by the philosophy that life will give you opportunities every single day, and you have to do the best you can every single day with what life gives you. So whoever challenges me for that last match, I’m going to give it my best shot.”

There's been a bit of disconnect between Cena and Chief Content Officer Paul 'Triple H' Levesque when it comes to the decision making process on his retirement tour opponents.

Levesque has made it seem like more of a collaborative effort, while Cena has consistently said he'll continue to play the cards that he's dealt.

So far in 2025, Cena has worked with WWE Champion Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, R-Truth and CM Punk one-on-one and several others in multi-man matches. A final showdown with longtime rival Brock Lesnar is highly expected at some point following The Beast's shocking return at SummerSlam.

What's next for John Cena?

WWE

With just 11 dates remaining in his professional wrestling career, John Cena will be heading to France at the end of the month to battle Logan Paul at WWE Clash in Paris.

The social media megastar issued the challenge on the August 8 edition of Friday Night SmackDown, claiming to have lost respect for his Money in the Bank tag team partner following his abrupt babyface turn the week prior.

After Clash in Paris comes to a close, it's possible that John Cena will only have two or three matches left before he leaves his boots in the ring. He's currently set to be at Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia on October 11 and his final match is reportedly taking place in his hometown of Boston in December.

This article first appeared on Wrestling on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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