Dean College Students Predict John Cena’s Farewell Match
- Harrison Soep
- Oct 7
- 4 min read
On Saturday December 13th, John Cena will compete in his final match on Saturday Nights Main Event on NBC. The 17-time world champion announced last year that he will be retiring at the end of 2025, with many speculating who his final opponent will be.
At Dean College, students are weighing in their own predictions for who Cena will face in his last match. Cena grew up in the small town of West Newbury, Massachusetts, about an hour drive from Franklin. He also attended Springfield College, making his retirement hit close to lots of fans in the local area.
The Favorites
A couple of the favorites include Dominik Mysterio, the current Intercontinental champion. Could Cena capture the title he has never held? Dominik is a rising star, and Cena has history with both Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio. I don’t think most fans would be upset if Dominik was chosen.
Some dream matches have entered the conversation. Could The Rock show up giving fans the rematch nearly 13 years of the making? Another name that is thrown out there is Adam Copeland or better known as Edge. His recent departure from AEW television and questions about his contract status with the promotion have fans speculating if the rated R Superstar be Cena’s last opponent. It’s highly unlikely and it does not look like it’s in the cards.
Other young talent Cena could face in his farewell match are names like LA Knight, Carmelo Hayes (another Massachusetts native) or even Bron Breakker, who WWE has built up as a future WrestleMania main event.
Campus Reaction
Dean students are split with this question and the debate on campus shows the wide range of fan hopes. Some believe Cena should go out against a proven veteran. Sam Smith said, “It's got to be Drew Mcintyre. He would be the perfect heel for Cena to face in his final match.”
Others think the final opponent should be someone who can benefit most from the spotlight. “Gunther has defeated multiple legends like Goldberg and Randy Orton if he retires Cena, he is the real deal and catapults him into WWE lore forever,” said Grant Flood.
For others, this could be a passing-of-the-torch moment. "John has mentioned multiple times how much he loves Dominik Mysterio. It only makes sense that one of the biggest rising heels goes against the biggest Babyface in history in John Cena. Especially considering it would be a change if Cena could finally become a grand slam champ,” said Jason Wilson.
Brendan Jennings said, “Bron Breakker could solidify himself as a future main event guy and make him look like a dominant heel.”
A few offered a more sentimental angle to it. “His final match should be someone he had a rival with at some point. So, either Edge, CM Punk, or even Chris Jericho. I don’t think it should be against someone with no connection to Cena’s career,” said Cairo Archer.
The Legacy
Regardless of who he faces, Cena will go down as one of the greatest of all time. His accomplishments, his work with Make a Wish and his “Never Give Up, Hustle, Loyalty and Respect” message extends far bigger then beyond the ring.
Outside the ring, Cena has become a major movie star appearing in movies like the Fast & Furious series, The Suicide Squad and his hit TV Series, Peacemaker. While his farewell tour is closing the end of a wrestling career it’s also closing a chapter of an era. As a fan myself, regardless of what you think of the booking, I hope his last match is something we will never forget.
Personally, I would like to see Rey Mysterio be his last match. He is currently recovering from injury, but it looks like Rey will return soon or before the end of the year. The two icons have similar career paths, they both built their careers on heart, respect, and connection with the fans. I also like the idea of two babyfaces colliding, as Rey is one of the greatest babyfaces of all time. Not to mention they have history, as they have squared off a couple of times. Most notably on an episode of Raw in which Rey wins the WWE championship only to lose it to Cena that same night.
These two legends both came to WWE at the same time, and it would be a fun match. This would be a big match for lots of casual fans, and I think many people would tune in to watch. Do I think it will happen? Probably not. However, as someone who grew up watching both Cena and Rey, I know it would bring me to tears to see two legends share the ring one last time. Just two legends giving fans a memory they will never forget.
John Cena’s final appearance will be in Boston at TD Garden on Monday November 10th.
