John Cena Reveals Why He Refuses to Choose His Final Opponent in WWE

John Cena isn’t letting sentiment dictate how he ends his WWE career—he’s letting opportunity do the talking.

During his appearance on First Take, Cena broke down the reasoning behind his final opponent being determined through the “Time Is Now” tournament. Instead of handpicking a favorite, he wants his last match to represent everything he believes wrestling should be about: earning your shot.

When asked what it means to have a tournament built around who gets to face him in his final WWE match, Cena explained that it’s not about what he wants—it’s about what WWE stands for.

“Stephen, that’s a great question. I’ll try to make this quick. A lot of folks are like, ‘Who do you want to face when you do this retirement tour?’ Okay, great. So I’ll lean into this. Everyone was like, ‘Who does John Cena want to face?’ And the way I got my start in WWE was through random opportunity. I got my first match because the Undertaker was sick. So I love the theory of opportunity and I believe in the meritocracy of the WWE.”

He made it clear that the old-school way of “calling your shot” isn’t part of his final run. Cena wants others to fight their way into the spot.

“So I don’t want to face anyone. I don’t want to handpick anyone. I want people to have to get a chance to showcase their skills and earn the right for opportunity. So we’re doing this with the Time Is Now Tournament, where it’s a bunch of the top superstars and some random entries—like even some against-all-odds opponents have a chance—to see if they can make it, to get a chance to retire John Cena, which is a really special thing.”

By refusing to choose a final opponent, Cena’s putting the spotlight on the future of WWE and making one thing clear—he’s leaving on his own terms, but not without giving back.

John Cena’s retirement isn’t just the end of an era—it’s a passing of the torch done the right way.

Who do you think deserves to face Cena in his final match—and do you agree with his tournament approach? Let us know in the comments.

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