5 matches John Cena needs to have before he retires

We're running out of time.
We're running out of time.

Love him or hate him, John Cena has defined modern-day professional wrestling in a way that no other individual has been able to over the past couple of decades. There might be an army of superstars that fans prefer to see in the ring, but because of how strongly the WWE machine has been behind him all these years when Cena steps inside the ropes it immediately feels like a huge deal.

There have been rumours lately that a John Cena vs. Kurt Angle match might be on the cards. While this would be a fun, nostalgia-filled experience for many, it also indicates that the leader of the Cenation might be coming towards the end of his wrestling career - at least on a permanent basis. A Cena match doesn't necessarily need a coherent feud behind it anymore, he can basically just rely on a series of marquee events like this one.

So, with that in mind, are there any other matches that 'Big Match John' still needs to have before hanging up his boots forever? Here are 5 possible options:


#1 Samoa Joe

Who's the better man?
Who's the better man?

One of the many reasons behind the success of NXT over the years has been its ability to attract non-WWE superstars who were able to make a name for themselves outside of the Vince McMahon bubble. Since the fall of WCW in 2001, the WWE really has been the only show in town, with a select few individuals able to get themselves over by their sheer determination to put on 5-star wrestling matches on a consistent basis.

One of these men has been Samoa Joe. Unlike other NXT graduates, Joe was brought up to the main roster with an already-made army of fans. His time on NXT, while impressive, felt like more of an unnecessary stepping stone, whetting the appetite of fans who have longed to see the big man on a RAW or Smackdown stage.

Earlier this year we got to see Joe take on Brock Lesnar, a dream match in anyone's book. Despite failing to capture the Universal Championship, the former TNA favourite still managed to take the beast to the limit and only helped cement the man's legacy going forward. However, there is one man that fans are still desperate for Samoa Joe to meet one-on-one.

Joe vs. Cena has money written all over it. Very much like Cena's first meeting with AJ Styles a couple of years ago, this has the potential to capture the past 10-15 years of wrestling inside one ring. While WWE has undoubtedly been the industry leader over this time period, people like Joe were seen as the last desperate stand against the McMahon monopoly, pulling numbers away from the company and giving them hope of something different and refreshing.

With the right booking, this could easily be turned into a narrative asking who the better man really over the years. Hopefully, there is enough time for these legends to go at it, ideally on the grandest stage possible.

#2 Kenny Omega

A changing of the guard.
A changing of the guard.

In the topsy-turvy world of professional wrestling, we have become used to seeing matches and feuds that seemed nearly impossible just a few years before. During the height of the Monday Night Wars, who would have predicted seeing Hulk Hogan take on The Rock at Wrestlemania, for example?

This is why, as unlikely as it sounds right now, there is still plenty of time left for John Cena to come face to face with New Japan icon, Kenny Omega.

In fact, many now believe that Omega joining the WWE is more a matter of when rather than if. The Bullet Club leader might be on a personal mission to turn New Japan into a worthy competitor for Vince at the moment, but sooner or later, one would imagine that the pull of the WWE will be far too strong for Omega to resist. If that should ever happen, we ought to hope and pray that Cena is still around to welcome him.

And this doesn't just have to be a throwaway marquee bout for the hell of it either. Cena and Omega have the potential to tell one hell of a story. If done correctly, Omega's arrival in WWE should be a prerequisite for turning him into the company's next main event star. Yes, he might not be a WWE original, but the man has done more for professional wrestling as a whole than any of Vince's latest attempts at creating the next Hogan/Austin/Cena.

Just as Cena personified wrestling during the PG Era, Omega, in many ways, represents where wrestling is going in the new, internet-dominated, postmodern age where self-promotion mean just as much as personality traits or wrestling skills. If we are really being fair in how we judge wrestlers today, Kenny's work rate and determination deserve to be seen as the measuring stick.

Imagine the possibilities if Cena was able to put over Omega at a Wrestlemania or Summerslam show, ushering in a new era that fans could really sink their teeth into.

#3 Hiroshi Tanahashi

USA vs. Japan
USA vs. Japan

While Cena vs. Omega has the potential to change the course of professional wrestling forever, Cena vs Tanahashi would be more about bringing two worlds together in an enormous, sensationalist way. For everything Cena has been to the WWE over the past 15 years, Tanahashi has been for NJPW and the two men deserve to have one meeting before they each go their separate ways.

If New Japan really is on a course to rivalling WWE in the future, the American audience deserves to know more about the world of Japanese pro-wrestling. It is characterised by a different set of criteria to the US version, with its 'strong style' in-ring action and its more coherent and structured approach to building up new stars and championship titles.

One of the key differences between Tanahashi and Cena can be found in the way to the two men are received by the fans. While Tanahashi's reception at shows like Wrestle Kingdom is more like what we would expect a company ace to get, Cena is consistently met with at least half the audience booing him out of the building.

This is because, for the most part, the Japanese audience is more willing to follow the traditional 'face/heel' dynamic and cheer for the guys they are supposed to cheer for. Whether this is a cultural difference between the two countries or a result of New Japan's writers being smarter in how they book their top talent, it is surely something Vince McMahon would like to see more of in his own product.

It's unlikely where or when these two could meet as it seems highly unlikely that Tanahashi will ever wrestle for the WWE or vice versa, but even if this never becomes a reality, there is more than enough there for fans to fantasise about.

#4 Braun Strowman (At a Wrestlemania or Summerslam)

Let's do this properly.
Let's do this properly.

Whenever Cena returns to the WWE after a few months of absence, he always makes the point that if the new generation of superstars wants to be taken seriously, they need to go through him first. And while many might initially scoff at this suggestion, there's no denying that there's more than an element of truth to it.

After all, whenever fans get excited about a new talent like Finn Balor, AJ Styles or even Roman Reigns, we know in our heart of hearts that beating John Cena clean still means more for their future prospects in the WWE than winning a world title. As long as he remains the measuring stick in Vince McMahon's eye, Cena will always be the man to beat.

While we did get a Cena vs. Reigns rivalry earlier this year, there was something thoroughly underwhelming about it. These two men really should have met at a Wrestlemania and the fact that they didn't make the whole feud slip under people's radar. It was almost as if Vince had gone cold on the idea of Reigns taking over from Cena so soon.

This is why, if Cena ever meets Braun Strowman one-on-one in the ring, the very least it deserves is a Summerslam or Wrestlemania. Vince and the fans appear to have finally found some common ground in Strowman, a man with the size and stature that normally keeps Vince happy and who also appeals to enough of the audience to get consistently positive receptions.

For everything Cena vs. Reigns wasn't, Cena vs. Strowman needs to be. Much like the Monster Amongst Men became the defacto babyface against Roman, he will surely be again in a feud with Cena, and that might be enough to really cement Strowman as WWE's next top star.

#5 The Undertaker

One last ride?
One last ride?

While most might argue that Sting vs. The Undertaker is the biggest professional wrestling match to never happen, the same could easily be said for John Cena vs The Undertaker, and unless the WWE get their skates on, neither of these marquee events will ever be allowed to happen - at least not on the biggest stage possible.

The most unfortunate aspect of the Undertaker's Wrestlemania streak coming to such an unceremonious end at Wrestlemania 30 was that it happened before Cena had his turn at ending it. Imagine the intrigue and spectacle that would have come with the leader of the Cenation attempting to bring the Phenom's era of dominance to a close.

With the streak gone, and the Undertaker on the very brink of retirement, the match might not bring with it quite as much drama or excitement as it could have done, but this doesn't mean fans aren't still desperate to see it. After all, it is two of the WWE's biggest and most loyal products going at it for a shot at ultimate bragging rights.

While Cena has managed to define an era in the way Hogan and Austin did before him, the Phenom has been the company's go-to guy for the past 25 years. In much the same way as new talents need to go through John Cena to be thought of as an all-time great, guys like Cena and Austin similarly need to share a stage with the Deadman to cement their own legacies.

Plus, with the streak gone, Mark Calloway will probably not feel as pressured to put Cena over, meaning the result of the match would be far less predictable and therefore far more exciting.


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