Predicting The 16 ‘Last Time Is Now Tournament’ Participants To Determine John Cena’s Final WWE Opponent

Cena mentioned in the video package it could be old foes, with Rusev, Sheamus, The Miz, and Solo Sikoa shown. He also mentioned it could be new superstars that he’s never faced before, with Drew McIntyre, LA Knight, Bronson Reed, Dominik Mysterio, and Penta among those featured. He also teased the possibility of wrestling people who aren’t even signed to WWE.

Based on everything Cena had to say, here are predictions for the 16 participants in ‘The Last Time Is Now Tournament’ that will give one superstar a career-defining opportunity.

Gunther

WWE fans haven’t seen ‘The Ring General’ since he lost the World Heavyweight Championship to CM Punk at SummerSlam, but he has to be considered the favorite to win the tournament. Rumors have been swirling for months that he’s the choice to face Cena in his final match, and pushing a’ professional wrestling vs. sports entertainment’ story would make sense for a Gunther vs. Cena showdown.

Drew McIntyre

McIntyre came up short again in his quest to defeat Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship. What better way to rebound than winning a tournament and defeating Cena in his last match?

LA Knight

Knight has been so close to reaching the top. But he still hasn’t gotten there just yet and this is the kind of tournament that could elevate him to finally being a world champion.

Bronson Reed

Reed was one of the wrestlers teased in the video package at Saturday Night’s Main Event, and this could be his personal mission while Bron Breakker turns his focus to newly-crowned World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk.

Dominik Mysterio

Just as Gunther is rumored to be Cena’s final opponent, Dominik is rumored to be Cena’s opponent at Survivor Series later this month. Win or lose, we shouldn’t put it past ‘Dirty Dom’ to weasel his way into possibly earning another match with the retiring legend.

Rusev

This qualifies as a an old foe, with Cena and Rusev having a memorable feud back in 2015. Many fans thought they’d meet during Cena’s retirement tour, and Rusev winning would secure that.

Sheamus

Yet another Cena rival from back in the day, it’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since these two had a televised singles match. ‘The Celtic Warrior’ would love to change that statistic by being the person to face Cena in Washington, D.C.

The Miz

Miz has been wanting this match, as he hasn’t had the one-on-one Cena showdown this year like Punk, AJ Styles, and others have had. Cena vs. Miz headlined WrestleMania XXVII in 2011, and the latter would likely appreciate another shot at a spot in WWE’s biggest match this year.

Austin Theory

Theory has reportedly been sidelined due to injury, but recent reports suggested he was going to be aligned with ‘The Vision’ prior to Seth Rollins’ injury. Theory defeated Cena at WrestleMania 39 to retain the United States Championship, and he would be a made man if he returns to score another victory over the WWE legend.

Solo Sikoa

Solo also falls into the category of people who have a history with Cena. Solo earned one of the biggest wins of his career when he defeated Cena at Crown Jewel 2023, so he’ll have plenty to brag about - and be as confident as ever - when he’s announced as one of the 16 participants in the tournament.

Ilja Dragunov

Dragunov recently returned to defeat Sami Zayn for the United States Championship, and he has since carried on the ‘open challenge’ theme with the title. There’s a link to Cena via that concept, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if he joins the tournament.

Carmelo Hayes

Carmelo needs a breakout singles performance on the WWE main roster, and this could be his chance. To get there, ‘Melo has to prove that he doesn’t miss if he wants to stand across the ring from Cena next month at Saturday Night’s Main Event.

Penta

Penta has made a big splash with fans since joining WWE earlier this year. However, he’s still searching for that signature win against a legendary superstar. Defeating Cena in his final match? That would do.

Oba Femi

This is where we get into the territory of superstars that WWE could strap a rocket to entering this tournament. Femi had a dominant run as NXT Champion, and while a return to the brand may be in the works, he’d be better served entering this tournament. Better yet, have him make a run to the final to face Gunther.

Trick Williams

Trick is another NXT veteran who has nothing left to achieve at the WWE Performance Center. His charisma is undeniable, and pushing him to the moon in such a high profile tournament would do wonders for his transition to the main roster.

Nic Nemeth

Many fans want to see Adam Copeland as one of the non-WWE-signed talent to participant in the tournament, but it seems unlikely. Nemeth — aka Dolph Ziggler — may be a more logical guess. He’s currently signed to TNA, and the working relationship between the two companies would make Nemeth a simple addition to the lineup.

5 Other ‘The Last Time Is Now Tournament’ Participants To Consider:

1. Jey Uso : The most obvious omission, but perhaps The Bloodline drama returns to keep him busy?

2. Ricky Saints: Current NXT Champion. He probably deserves a spot somewhere in this tournament.

3. Je’Von Evans: 'The Young OG' has been impressive in his WWE main roster matches thus far.

4. Joe Hendry: A fan favorite who could return to the spotlight after facing Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41.

5. Matt Cardona: AKA Zack Ryder, and he's someone else who has history with Cena.