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At WrestleMania 41, WWE Champion Cody Rhodes puts his title on the line against the newly heel John Cena, ending with interference from Travis Scott that led to Cena winning his record 17th WWE World Championship. With a heel Cena at the top of the mountain, it shall be interesting to see which names step up to take him on in the coming months.
We will take a shot at predicting which individuals will be the ones to challenge John Cena over the coming months for the Undisputed WWE Championship, which will see Cena take up a more regular schedule than he had done over the Road To WrestleMania 41.
Randy Orton
Orton Will Challenge For The Title At Backlash
- Backlash 2025 takes place in St. Louis
- Orton and Cena have a storied history with one another
- This match will happen one last time
Randy Orton and John Cena have shared the ring countless times, and they shall do so once again during Cena’s retirement tour in 2025. Orton has had an eye on the WWE Championship in recent months, though hasn’t pulled the trigger on taking on Cody Rhodes. He won’t wait when it comes to Cena, with whom he’s had an extensive rivalry across many years.
With WWE’s next premium live event, Backlash 2025, set to take place in Orton’s hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, it makes the world of sense for him to not only be in a featured match, but to also challenge for the WWE Championship. A victory for a heel Cena in Orton’s hometown will do more wonders in making him a detestable heel.
Damian Priest
Damian Priest Is An Easy Babyface To Add To Cena’s Reign
- Prior to WrestleMania, Priest teased going after the WWE Title
- He reigned last year as the World Heavyweight Champion
- This would be a first time ever match
Even though Damian Priest lost to Drew McIntyre in a Street Fight at WrestleMania 41, we can see him being among the first babyfaces to take on new WWE Champion John Cena in the coming months. Priest is now in a position where he likely won’t get his hands on another world title, but he is a big enough name now to provide someone like Cena with a decent victory to keep his reign chugging along.
Not only has Priest previously signalled his intentions to challenge for the WWE Title, this would be a first time ever match for WWE to tick off on John Cena’s retirement tour, given that Priest’s main call up came when Cena was already a part-timer.
Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn Is The Babyface Antithesis To John Cena
- Zayn is one of WWE’s biggest babyfaces
- Zayn wrestled Cena in his main roster debut
- They could tell a strong storyline in a WWE Title program
Even when they were both babyfaces, Sami Zayn couldn’t have been more different to John Cena - an ultimate underdog who wasn’t backed by the machine and has still yet to get his big world title moment in WWE, whereas Cena was the superman good guy who is now a record-breaking titleholder. Zayn battling Cena makes a lot of sense given their respective differences, ensuring a strong storyline would take place.
There is also some historical significance for this match to take place on John Cena’s retirement tour, as Zayn would step up to Cena's US Title Open Challenge in 2015 in what was his main roster call up. It would be a full circle moment for Zayn to face Cena again in his final year as a WWE superstar.
CM Punk
Punk Vs. Cena Is Inevitable
- Fans loved seeing Cena vs. Punk at Elimination Chamber
- Punk is arguably Cena’s greatest rival
- This would be a big match to have with the WWE Championship on the line
Elimination Chamber 2025 showed that both CM Punk and John Cena still have chemistry with one another, putting on a nice sequence inside the Chamber match. This has only made fans want to see this iconic rivalry resurface once more. It will be special to see Cena and Punk face off one last time on Cena’s retirement tour, and it will be even more special to see it happen with the WWE Championship on the line.
Although there will be an argument for Cody Rhodes to be the one to defeat Cena for the WWE Championship, Punk is certainly someone who could be contention to be the one to take the title away from the grasps of a heel Cena, paying him back for all the stolen spots and main events back during their time at the top of the company between 2011 and 2013.
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TODAY'S BEST
Ric Flair shares his emotional reaction to Hulk Hogan’s death
Ric Flair on Thursday shared his emotional reaction to the news of Hulk Hogan’s death. News came out on Thursday that Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, died at the age of 71 due to cardiac arrest. Flair, who was one of the other biggest personalities in the wrestling world at the time of Hogan’s popularity, wrote a post on social media about the late wrestler, whom he called a “close friend.” “I Am Absolutely Shocked To Hear About The Passing Of My Close Friend @HulkHogan! Hulk Has Been By My Side Since We Started In The Wrestling Business. An Incredible Athlete, Talent, Friend, And Father! Our Friendship Has Meant The World To Me. He Was Always There For Me Even When I Didn’t Ask For Him To Be. He Was One Of The First To Visit Me When I Was In The Hospital With A 2% Chance Of Living, And He Prayed By My Bedside. Hulk Also Lent Me Money When Reid Was Sick. Hulkster, No One Will Ever Compare To You! Rest In Peace My Friend!” Flair wrote on X. Flair, 76, was five years older than Hogan. Their wrestling careers overlapped, and the two were rivals in WCW, and later WWE. Though they had their differences and disagreements as they were among the most popular performers in the wrestling world, they were able to mend matters and become friends over the last decade. Hogan had even referred to Flair as the “greatest wrestler of all time,” putting himself second in that conversation.
Why Yankees' trade for All-Star 3B is disappointing
The New York Yankees’ first move ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline falls a bit flat. They traded two prospects most fans have never heard of to acquire Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon, a lackluster move that indicates New York is throwing in the towel on the 2025 season. McMahon is an upgrade — but only a slight one. Yankees GM Brian Cashman replaced a .147 hitter in Oswald Peraza with a .217 hitter in McMahon, who also happens to lead the National League in strikeouts (127). But really, New York just added another Anthony Volpe — one of the biggest problems in the Bombers’ lineup — to the left side of their infield. The two infielders’ 2025 stats tell virtually the same sad tale: McMahon: .217/.314/.403, 16 home runs Volpe: .214/.286/.400, 13 home runs The Yankees should have risked a top prospect or two for Arizona Diamondbacks power-hitting third baseman Eugenio Suarez. A 2026 free agent, Suarez is a rental, but with his .252/.325/.593 slash line, 33 home runs and MLB-leading 86 RBI, he’d be a huge upgrade at third base, rather than a slight one. Instead, the Yankees opted for a player who they’ll have control over until 2028 and cost them almost nothing to acquire. Apparently, they believe McMahon will prove valuable in the long run, based on his advanced analytics. After all, he’s been crushing the ball in 2025, averaging a 94 mph exit velocity. However, his ability to hit the ball hard doesn’t mean he’s just been unlucky this year, as his xBA is just .232 — not too far below his .240 career actual batting average. Compare that to another guy who’s known for hitting the ball hard in Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, who is hitting just .232 but has an xBA of .289. It doesn’t matter how hard McMahon hits the ball if he tends to hit it directly at a fielder. There’s still a week until the trade deadline, but don’t expect the Yankees to make any truly splashy moves. Suarez was the better choice to fix New York’s third base issues, and their pivot to McMahon was disappointing.
Bengals finally reach agreement with first-rounder Shemar Stewart
The Cincinnati Bengals have finally reached an agreement with first-round pick Shemar Stewart, putting an end to what became the story of the offseason for the team. Stewart, drafted 17th overall in this year's draft, has finally agreed to a four-year, fully guaranteed $18.97 million deal that includes a $10.4 million signing bonus, according to his agent Zac Hiller of LAA. Now with this deal done, every first-round pick is signed. The road to this deal was a bumpy ride. For months, negotiations between Stewart’s camp and the Bengals front office stalled due to disagreements over contract language, particularly around guarantees. The team pushed to include contract language that could void the deal under certain off-field circumstances, but since other Bengals first-round picks did not face similar terms, Stewart stood firm and refused to sign. Both sides remained firm throughout the offseason, leading to a long standoff and a lot of reports of frustration from both sides. Despite the frustration and disagreement, the Bengals and Stewart’s group continued to engage in conversations, trying to find a resolution to the issue. And finally, after weeks of back and forth and weeks of controversy surrounding what Stewart may be forced to do, both parties appear to have met in the middle and found common ground. For the Bengals, getting Stewart signed and ready for training camp is a major win. Stewart was viewed as a developmental prospect who needed plenty of on-field reps to reach his full potential. Stewart's absence from earlier camps had slowed a lot of his progress. With the contract dispute resolved, he can now focus entirely on gaining important reps and continuing his development over the coming weeks. Now with this contract done and over with, the team can put their full focus on Trey Hendrickson, who is also seeking a long term deal. If the Bengals can get a deal done with Trey before the season kicks off, they would secure their edge-rushing room for not only 2025, but for years beyond. For a team looking to go all in on making the playoffs, signing Stewart was long overdue. Now it will be vital for the team to get Stewart up to speed with the rest of the roster, and allow him to get as many reps as possible before the 2025 season begins.
Sherrone Moore says Michigan will do away with controversial celebration
Michigan and Ohio State are sure to play another spirited game on the gridiron this season, but it sounds like there will be no flag planting afterward regardless of the outcome. Michigan won its fourth straight game against Ohio State last season, and the Wolverines' latest victory was the biggest upset the rivalry has seen in years. The eventual national champion Buckeyes were ranked No. 2 in the country when an unranked Michigan team went into Columbus and beat them, 13-10. A huge scrum broke out after the game when Michigan players stood on Ohio State's midfield logo and pretended to plant their flag in enemy territory. The brawl got so out of hand that stadium police wound up using pepper spray. While speaking with reporters on Thursday, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore said his players will not be partaking in any flag-planting activity going forward. "There will be no more flag planting. There will be no more grabbing the flag," Moore said. "We talked about our new tradition and what we do when we win a game is go beat the band, go sing our (fight song) and stay over there until the other team departs. That's how we'll operate — shake hands after the game, show sportsmanship, be cordial." While there has been no formal ban of flag planting, Ohio State coach Ryan Day also expressed opposition to the act after last year's incident. Ohio State and Michigan have one of the best rivalries in sports, so there is always going to be bad blood between the two programs. Moore and Day are doing what they can to make sure things don't get out of hand again the next time their teams meet.
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