John Cena has been the franchise player for the WWE for the major part of the PG era. The Doctor of Thunganomics came to the rescue of the WWE when they genuinely lacked a face of the company, and held the fort down for the years to come.
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However, Cena's move to Hollywood has seen him become a special attraction for the promotion, as he has spent several years as nothing more than a part-time player. The writing on the wall is that a full-time retirement is nearing. With that, let's take a look at what John Cena should do before calling it a day in WWE.
10 Win His 6th United States Championship
While Cena winning the WWE Championship and breaking Ric Flair's record for the most number of World title reigns (recognized by WWE) is one that everyone has been clamoring for, it is not the only record of the Nature Boy Cena can break. This is because he is currently just one reign short of matching Flair's record for the most number of US Title wins.
Even though the leader of the Cenation is already a 5-time champion, which is the most of the reigns for the belt under the WWE banner, one more stint with the title will forever cement Cena with the belt he surely helped a lot in elevating.
9 Feud With Cody Rhodes
On the March 6, 2023, episode of Raw, fans were blessed by a little interaction between Cena and the winner of the 2023 Royal Rumble match, Cody Rhodes. As per Rhodes himself, facing Cena has been a dream, and during this brief on-screen moment the two shared, the American Nightmare requested Cena to face him before he decides to fully hang up his boots.
A feud between Cena and Rhodes will definitely be an interesting dynamic since Cena's peak days in WWE are exactly what Rhodes' days in AEW were, a white-meat babyface which while over with the kids, was heavily booed by the adult audience. This similarity, along with both the individuals' promo skills will easily make up for a feud for the ages.
8 Face AJ Styles At WrestleMania
There is absolutely no denying the fact the trilogy of matches between Cena and AJ Styles in 2016 - 2017 is to this date one of the finest series of matches put on by the 16-time world champion. Not only did the in-ring approach of the two stars complement each other in the best way possible, but also the added drama by the WWE vs Indies narrative makes this rivalry one for the ages.
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With how amazing their two bouts at SummerSlam and Royal Rumble have been, fans surely deserve one more bout between the two but this time at the Grandest Stage of Them All. The two have not faced each other one-on-one on a PPV/PLE since January 2017, which is a horrific wait for the WWE Universe.
7 Make An Entrance As The Peacemaker
John Cena, similar to The Rock and Batista, found success in Hollywood which eventually resulted in his role in WWE being reduced to a special attraction one. While Cena has been featured in multiple popular franchises such the Fast and Furious series and the Transformer spin-off Bumblebee, his most recognizable role to date has been his portrayal of the Peacemaker in the DC universe.
Cena originally played the comic book character in the 2021 Suicide Squad movie, before getting his own spin-off series on HBO Max. Considering the popularity and the mainstream recognition of the role, WWE should have Cena make a special entrance as the DC character for a PPV match of his, perhaps at WrestleMania.
6 Be The One To Retire R-Truth
For the past decade or so, R-Truth has easily been one of the most entertaining characters on WWE TV. In recent years, the 54-time 24/7 Champion introduced a new twist to his already hilarious character, where he is just a massive fan of John Cena.
With Killings now at 51 years of age, an in-ring retirement for him seems to be nearing as well. This is where WWE should take the bold decision of booking Truth versus Cena as the former's retirement bout. The match, while being the perfect conclusion for the former NWA Worlds Champion's career, will also make up for a fun little TV match.
5 Re-Kindle His Rivalry With Edge
The heated rivalry between John Cena and Edge was one of WWE's best ever. Their series of matches, while critiqued at the time for playing hot potato with the WWE Championship, immensely helped both wrestlers in achieving single's stardom.
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However, it has now been more than a decade since the two last fought in a match. This is because Edge retired in 2011 due to a neck injury and only made his miraculous return in 2020, and by that time Cena had become a part-time performer. With both the stars now nearing their retirements, perhaps WWE should pull the trigger on one last meeting between the two.
4 Have A Match With A Mainstream Celebrity
The WWE has always looked into bringing in celebrities with mainstream recognition as a way to make sure that the company's reach to the global audience expands. In recent years, this has seen stars such as Tyson Fury, Logan Paul, and Bad Bunny competing in matches for the promotion.
With Cena by far being the most globally recognized name on the WWE roster, his going against the likes of either Logan Paul or Conor McGregor will get attention from major media platforms. This will not only benefit the company but will also help Cena as he is just in the starting years of his full-time Hollywood career.
3 Main Event One More WrestleMania
It has now been 10 years since the franchise player of the WWE main evented WrestleMania, with him moving down the card following his WWE Championship match with The Rock at 'Mania 29.
While WWE's current crop of main eventers is holding the fort down in an amazing manner, it will indeed be a disappointment if the 16-time World Champion does not get to close the show one more time. Perhaps, Cena could have his final match in the main event of the Grandest Stage Of Them All, with one more big-time spectacular entrance.
2 Win The Intercontinental Championship
While Cena has accomplished almost everything imaginable for a wrestler in WWE, it is unbelievably true that he is yet to capture the Intercontinental Championship. A major reason for that being is that both the times when Cena was a part of the company's mid-card, it was the US Title which was the secondary title on that brand.
Before he fully decides to hang up his boots, Cena should no doubt win the legendary title and fetch his name as a Grand Slam Champion in the Stamford-based promotion.
1 Break Ric Flair's World Title Record
While the Intercontinental Championship is the title Cena is yet to win, it is not the one that will hold the most significance for him. This is because Cena is currently tied with Ric Flair at having 16 World Title reigns (as recognized by the WWE).
Cena's journey to a record-breaking 17th World Title win is a story and a moment that is too big for WWE to let go of.
