Eric Bischoff reveals his pick for John Cena's final WWE opponent

John Cena will retire from WWE in-ring competition at Saturday Night's Main Event on December 13. In a recent podcast episode, Hall of Fame wrestling executive Eric Bischoff addressed rumors about the 48-year-old's possible final opponent.

On September 20, Brock Lesnar landed six consecutive F-5s en route to recording an impressive win over Cena at Wrestlepalooza. Since then, many fans have speculated that the two could meet again in a rematch at Saturday Night's Main Event.

Reacting to the online gossip, Bischoff said on his 83 Weeks podcast that he hopes the long-term rivals face off one more time.

"If the story going forward is as you previously laid out and this ends up with John and Brock in John's final match, and John finally overcomes, it's a redemption story. I love redemption stories. They always work for me. If it's a Disney redemption story, I'll actually shed a tear or two. If there's a dog involved, I'll be a balling idiot. So, I hope that that [Cena vs. Lesnar] is the case."

Bischoff also gave John Cena's WWE farewell tour a grade, taking into account his short-lived heel run and return to his popular babyface persona.

Eric Bischoff's reaction to Brock Lesnar vs. John Cena

The Wrestlepalooza match received widespread criticism on social media, mostly due to Brock Lesnar's dominance and John Cena's lack of offense.

Eric Bischoff believes the bout was "not good" as a one-off. However, he is willing to reserve judgment in case Lesnar's victory leads to a rematch further down the line.

"I don't like when other people do it, so I'm not gonna speculate, but if it's part of a story, I think it would be a great story because redemptions always work," Bischoff said. "If it wasn't part of the story and it was just, 'Well, here's what we're gonna do tonight and why,' not good, but we'll find out."

In the immediate future, Cena's sights are set on AJ Styles. The legendary rivals will face off one last time at Crown Jewel on October 11 in Perth, Australia.

Please credit 83 Weeks and give an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.

About the author

Danny Hart is a journalist who has been reporting on pro wrestling (WWE) at Sportskeeda since 2017. He grew up as a massive fan of football/soccer and wrestling, leading him to pursue a career in sports journalism.

Before assuming his current role, Hart worked as a football writer at Goal.com between 2009 and 2016. He prides himself on writing original content that is fact-based and highly accurate. Hart thoroughly proofreads his work before submitting it and relies only on credible sources for information.

Hart’s favorite pro wrestler is The Undertaker. He admires the 2022 WWE Hall of Famer’s ability to reinvent his character and remain relevant across his decades-long career. If given the keys to WWE’s creative department, he would bring back The Phenom for a farewell bout against AJ Styles in a stadium full of fans. Not only that, but he would love to have the multi-time world champion’s greatest rivals seated at ringside for the spectacle.

When not watching and covering sports, Hart enjoys long-distance running, playing video games, and listening to audiobooks and podcasts.

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Edited by Danny Hart