John Cena's retirement match in December must take place against a surprising name, says WWE analyst

John Cena's retirement from WWE as an in-ring performer is a few months away, and many have started to predict which star would serve as his final opponent. Meanwhile, Sam Roberts picked Drew McIntyre as The Franchise Player's last opponent.

John Cena has limited appearances left, and The Franchise Player is days away from having his potential final match with Brock Lesnar at WWE Wrestlepalooza. Regardless of the outcome, the 17-time World Champion has appearances scheduled, and his final bout will take place at Saturday Night's Main Event in December 2025.

Speaking on Notsam Wrestling, analyst Sam Roberts wants Drew McIntyre to be John Cena's final rival and opponent in the Stamford-based promotion. Moreover, Roberts believes that The Scottish Warrior should go over in The Franchise Player's last match as a performer.

"The last one is John Cena versus Drew McIntyre. And that's where you get the John Cena loss. That's where you get Drew McIntyre taking the dub because you can't have John Cena lose a bunch of matches, which just doesn't make any sense because if you have him lose all the matches, there's no value in getting those victories," Roberts said.

McIntyre's name comes as a surprise, as the two have never had a one-on-one encounter in the promotion.

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WWE's Drew McIntyre goes off at John Cena

John Cena's heel run didn't sit well with several superstars, veterans, and legends, as no one expected The Leader of The Cenation to turn his back on his beliefs heading into WWE WrestleMania 41. With the heel turn, Cena changed his in-ring tactics as well.

In an interview with Fox News, Drew McIntyre was asked which superstar he would want to win at WWE SummerSlam 2025. The Scottish Warrior picked Cody Rhodes and went off at John Cena, as he doesn't condone the heel run and wants to face the real John Cena.

"This John Cena is a little b***h... We never had a match one-on-one ever. It would be a huge match. I don’t want this Cena...I want to send him packing the way he used to be — hustle, loyalty and respect, doing things the right way. These cheap finishes, everyone leaves the arena like, ‘That freaking s**ked, that was a waste of money.’ I want the actual John Cena," McIntyre said.

The 48-year-old veteran did return to his roots, and it'll be interesting to see if the two indeed clash in December 2025.

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