John Cena quitting WWE after getting hurt and 2 directions he might take following Wrestlepalooza

ESPN's inaugural WWE premium live event, Wrestlepalooza 2025, kicked off with the much-anticipated match between John Cena and Brock Lesnar.

This marked Lesnar's first WWE match since SummerSlam 2023. The Beast Incarnate dominated the bout, putting multiple F5s on the Last Real Champion and defeating Cena, capturing a historic win.

With only a few days remaining before John Cena's retirement, fans are perplexed about what's next for the 17-time world champion after his loss to Brock Lesnar.

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In this article, we will examine three directions The Last Real Champion could take after Wrestlepalooza.

#3. John Cena might quit WWE early

Before their match, The Beast Incarnate promised he would retire The Leader of Cenation at ESPN's inaugural WWE show. Lesnar has stayed true to his words as he completely dominated the former champion and annihilated him.

While it's unlikely to happen, Cena might post a serious message on his social media to tell his fans that, after his embarrassing loss to Lesnar, he has realized his body hasn't been the same since his battle against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam. He might say that he feels he's missing that beat and wants to quit WWE early.

#2. Could issue an open challenge

A devastating loss to Brock Lesnar might ignite a fire inside The Leader of Cenation as he heads back to a losing momentum.

The Last Real Champion may issue an open challenge to Brock Lesnar on social media via a video, since he is not advertised for either SmackDown or RAW. This could lead the company to book a rematch between Ruthless Aggression Era legends.

#1. Rematch between the two

With the one-sided dominance of The Beast Incarnate, World Wrestling Entertainment may have subtly confirmed that the saga between Brock Lesnar and John Cena is far from over.

The icons may lock horns at a much bigger stage at the Crown Jewel: Perth 2025. Triple H-led creative team could add a stipulation to the bout to increase the intensity of the match.

About the author

Nayan is a WWE News and Features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. After completing his bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Poddar International, he began working as a YouTube script writer. Nayan then transitioned to Pinkvilla as a combat sports writer. He gained valuable experience there before finally coming under the banner of Sportskeeda.

Within 1.5 years, Nayan has written over 1,000 articles, interviewed MFN promotion owners, and conducted a Twitter campaign that gained over 50k retweets and more. He puts fact-checking and mindful journalism above everything by applying a three-check method, where he tries to verify reports from reliable sources and cross-check whether other major publications have covered them.

Looking back at his association with pro wrestling, Nayan recalls being hooked on the sport after watching Shawn Michael vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. Since then, the product has been an inseparable part of his life.

Apart from The Heartbreak Kid being Nayan's favorite wrestler for his confidence and charisma, he is also a fan of Brock Lesnar due to The Beast's "work speaks louder than words" attitude.

Nayan can be found performing mixed martial arts and reading true crime in his free time.

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Edited by Neda Ali