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There's no denying that John Cena is the most recognizable face of the pro-wrestling industry for the last 15 years. One of the highest paid wrestlers of WWE for quite a long time, Cena has headlined multiple pay-per-views and won a record sixteen world championships, tied with Ric Flair. It's a matter of when, and not if, The Champ becomes the world champion for the seventeenth time and creates history.
Having carried the company on his shoulders for the last decade, John Cena is still extremely popular among the fans despite having a part-time status as an active performer. With commitments towards Hollywood and TV, his next appearance inside the squared circle is still suspense.
At 41, Cena is still in great shape and can go ahead for another 5-10 years as a pro-wrestler. But with astounding Hollywood fame and work engagements along with an influx of talent in WWE, a plethora of new wrestlers are capable enough to take the position of the next top draw of the company.
With all said and done, here are five wrestlers who would be suitable in giving a send-off to the "Cenation Leader."
Honorable Mentions: The Miz, Seth Rollins, and Drew McIntyre
#4 Sami Zayn
Sami Zayn is arguably the most underrated performer in WWE today. Despite having tons of charisma and stellar in-ring skills, the company has not yet managed to book Zayn as a legit main-eventer which has left fans wondering - if this is the same Sami Zayn who had a remarkable stint in NXT.
Currently sidelined due to injury, Zayn is one of the most sought-after wrestlers in the pro-wrestling industry and given a proper storyline, can become the top dog of any promotion. Be it his initial run as a babyface or his recent one with Kevin Owens as a cocky heel, fans utterly love and adore "The Underdog from the Underground."
At just 34, Zayn is in the prime of his in-ring career and is a definite future world champion. Remarkably over with the WWE Universe, his buildup to the top of the food chain might commence with him retiring John Cena and taking his position as the new top babyface of the company.
#3 Samoa Joe
Post wrestling all around the world and making his way to the top, Samoa Joe has faced a plethora of challenges in WWE in Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Shinsuke Nakamura to name a few. The biggest hindrance in him becoming the top draw of the company goes by the name of John Cena.
Joe and Cena are two strikingly similar characters. Both have worked day and night to reach the top of the mountain for their respective promotions; Joe in TNA and Cena in WWE. After Joe's arrival in the WWE, fans have been waiting to see a showdown between the two spearheads.
Joe even admitted that his match with Cena at UPW led to Cena's career getting skyrocketed with WWE. The platform for a budding rivalry between the two is perfect with the above story acting as a suitable base with the opportunity getting snatched away from the "Samoan Submission Machine." What can be a show-stealing feud can see Joe giving a send-off to John Cena and finally redeeming himself as the better man between the two. It could also be a start to a monstrous heel run for him.
#2 Kevin Owens
Kevin Owens' first night on Monday Night RAW saw him taking out John Cena with a vicious pop-up powerbomb which was the beginning of a studded rivalry between the two. After defeating Owens at Money in the Bank in June 2015, Cena moved on to more significant challenges while Owens became an upper mid-carder.
Time and again Owens has proved that he deserves to be in the main event scene, be it his feud with Sami Zayn or Braun Strowman. With a stacked-up RAW roster, KO has however always been in the shadow of a more prominent star and never been fully able to captivate the crowd on his own.
At 34, Owens is a guaranteed future star of WWE. His storytelling ability during the match and wicked promo cutting skills are second to none, and one immense opportunity can make him an overnight sensation among the WWE Universe.
The creative needs to rekindle the rivalry between Owens and Cena with the former coming out victorious this time for him to cement his position amongst the top draws and validate his status as a bonafide heel superstar for years to come.
#1 AJ Styles
Up until 2016, AJ Styles and John Cena were the undisputed top dogs of their promotions. Both Styles and Cena had commanding positions in TNA and WWE respectively. After Styles' arrival in WWE, the creative was quick enough to capitalize on the opportunity and booked the two superstars in a feud.
2016 saw the rivalry between two of the most prominent professional wrestlers to have stepped inside the ring. If that was any standard, one more storyline will unquestionably blow off the charts and Styles retiring Cena will become the talking point for years to come.
Styles has already beaten Cena clean at SummerSlam 2016 which came as a big shock to the WWE Universe. A bonafide main-eventer, Styles seems to be the safest option in giving a sendoff to John Cena and becoming the "face that runs the place" once again.
