John Cena's final run gets a staggering grade from WWE Hall of Famer

John Cena's WWE retirement tour is set to end in December, and The Franchise Player had a few questionable storylines and matches in the promotion. Meanwhile, Eric Bischoff graded the 48-year-old star's final run.

John Cena's final run had several twists and turns along the way, but fans never expected to see The Franchise Player turn heel and align with The Rock. Sadly, the heel turn didn't live up to the expectations, and Cena eventually dropped the entire gimmick two days before WWE SummerSlam 2025.

The veteran gave his all inside the squared circle, but the storylines and his booking were all over the place. Speaking on 83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff, the WWE Hall of Famer graded the 17-time WWE World Champion's final run and gave it a 'C' due to the heel run, which didn't resonate with the fans or veterans.

"People want to see a hero's journey. It's the easiest story... The heel turn attempt? Maybe the end of the movie ended up being pretty good, but you got up and walked out mentally and emotionally during the first fifteen minutes of the movie because it didn't make any sense, and you kind of opted out. Didn't understand it. It didn't hit you in the feels the way you thought it would or the way you wanted it to, and it's hard to get it back. I would give it a C. Now, if you take the heel turn out and just look at the rest of it, probably an A minus or B. It's been pretty good except for the way it started," Bischoff said.

It'll be interesting to see which star ends up as John Cena's final opponent in December.

Ex-WWE writer thinks Brock Lesnar might be John Cena's final opponent

John Cena didn't stand a chance in Indiana when he faced Brock Lesnar in a one-on-one match at Wrestlepalooza. However, fans didn't expect a squash from The Beast Incarnate as he delivered 6 F5s to The Franchise Player before winning the match.

Speaking on The Coach and Bro Show, Vince Russo believes that the WWE could do a redemption storyline and give John Cena a win over Brock Lesnar in December before he retires from in-ring competition. However, Russo also thinks there's a chance the company might go in a different direction as well.

If you use quotes from the article, please credit 83 Weeks and provide an H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription.

About the author

Aakaansh is a WWE news writer in Sportskeeda. After getting hooked on professional wrestling in 2008 watching WWE and TNA, he found himself admiring the work ethic and passion of the wrestlers for their craft, the business, and the industry as a whole.

With a post-graduate degree in writing, and currently pursuing a Master's degree in Communication, Aakaansh's knack for writing and love of pro wrestling eventually led him to SK seven years ago before he found a permanent place in the division in 2021, initially writing SEO content and transitioning to news in April 2022.

He is committed to producing detailed, factual, and unbiased reports free of opinion, which will resonate with both long-term and newer fans. When not writing about pro wrestling, Aakaansh is engaged in the dynamic worlds of pop culture, anime, and Fortnite.

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Edited by Aakaansh Sukale