4 Ways Vince McMahon would've booked John Cena's WWE retirement tour better than Triple H

John Cena lost to Brock Lesnar at the 2025 WWE Wrestlepalooza Premium Live Event last weekend. That said, the Last Real Champion is nearing the end of his retirement tour, which kicked off earlier this year.

Chief Content Officer Triple H has seemingly been the driving force behind John Cena's retirement tour, as he is the man behind all the major creative decisions in WWE. Fans have shared mixed reactions to Cena's farewell tour so far, and many feel the Stamford-based promotion could have booked it better.

In this listicle, we will look at four ways Vince McMahon would have booked John Cena's retirement tour better than The Game.

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#4. No heel turn

The Cenation Leader turned heel for the first time since 2003 at this year's WWE Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event. He joined forces with The Rock after Cody Rhodes rejected his offer.

A heel Cena beat The American Nightmare for the world title at WrestleMania 41. However, if Vince McMahon were still in power, he would have never turned John heel, as he had multiple opportunities to do so in the past but chose not to, wanting to book him as the ultimate babyface.

McMahon would have capitalized on Cena's massive popularity among young fans by booking him as a top face in his final run.

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#3. Clean finishes

As part of his retirement tour, Cena has had massive bouts against many top stars. However, most of the matches haven't had a clean finish. Under Vince McMahon's creative leadership, the 17-time world champion would have brought back the Super Cena persona and fought in bouts with a clean climax.

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#2. No R-Truth feud

John Cena faced R-Truth in a non-title singles match at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event in May 2025. The Last Real Champion managed to beat the veteran. However, many fans felt it was a filler bout that was not really needed.

McMahon would have never booked Truth vs. Cena in the first place. He would have allowed a rising talent to go up against the 17-time world champion.

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#1. More exposure to younger WWE stars

Cena has faced many of his old rivals and veterans, such as Randy Orton, CM Punk, Brock Lesnar, and R-Truth, during his retirement tour. Surprisingly, he has competed against only a handful of young superstars despite having limited time left as an in-ring performer.

If Vince McMahon were calling the shots, he would have elevated younger stars such as Dominik Mysterio, Gunther, and Bron Breakker by booking them to share the ring with John Cena. In the past, many upstarts have benefited from working with the legend, including Roman Reigns, Kevin Owens, and Rusev.

With only three months left on his retirement tour, it will be interesting to see what plans the Triple H-led creative team has in store for Cena.