Superstar who destroyed John Cena in 2023 to interrupt him on SmackDown? Exploring post-Clash in Paris possibility

John Cena is currently on his retirement tour, and WWE has gone all out to make it memorable for fans. At Clash in Paris, Cena squared off against Logan Paul. The duo delivered a great fight, which ended with The Franchise Player securing a pinfall victory over Paul in what appears to be his final bout in Europe.

Cena now has eight more dates left before finally ending his in-ring career in December. He is set to appear on the upcoming episode of SmackDown in Chicago, and there is a possibility that the Stamford-based promotion will set up his next rivalry on the show.

With a plethora of possibilities open, Solo Sikoa might interrupt Cena during his promo segment on the Friday night show to kick off a brief feud with the veteran. Sikoa shares a storied history with The Franchise Player in WWE. They faced off at Crown Jewel 2023, where the MFT leader destroyed the Last Real Champion and secured the victory.

At WrestleMania XL, John Cena attacked Sikoa during Night Two's main event. Hence, The Street Champion of the Island might look to have one more match with Cena before he retires. The bout could happen on SmackDown in Chicago.

WWE seemingly spoiled Cena's retirement tour by not continuing his feud with Brock Lesnar. Moreover, Sikoa might need a fresh start after losing his United States Championship to Sami Zayn last week on the blue brand. Therefore, there is a possibility that Cena's next opponent could be the MFT leader.

This angle is speculative as of this writing, and fans will have to wait and see what happens on the upcoming episode of SmackDown.

John Cena might need to extend his retirement tour until WrestleMania 42

John Cena is one of the top names in WWE, and he has an incredible legacy. However, the Stamford-based promotion scheduling Cena's retirement for Saturday Night's Main Event in December has not sat well with many. Fans believe booking such a significant match outside a premium live event would undermine the 17-time world champion's legendary status.

The Franchise Player might need to extend his farewell tour to WrestleMania 42 if he wants to avoid fan backlash and end his in-ring run on a high note. Since The Grandest Stage of Them All is WWE's biggest PLE, Cena having his farewell match at the flagship show would more effectively honor his legacy and make it more memorable.

About the author

Bethel is a WWE writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling with a Bachelor's degree from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He has also attended a virtual school where he was certified in Effective Communication in English. His grasp of the language and his utmost dedication to researching and verifying information help him ensure he is unbiased, practical, and nonjudgmental as he writes about the world of pro wrestling.

When he looks back at how he got hooked onto WWE, Bethel particularly recalls WrestleMania 30 in 2014. Here, he saw and became an avid supporter of Roman Reigns for his courage and boldness. However, his all-time favorite is WWE Hall of Famer Stone Cold Steve Austin because of his rebellious ways and how he would thumb his nose at authority.

All of this has led Bethel to work for multiple institutions. He quickly learns the content guidelines and completes his and the company's targets effortlessly. One of the highlights of his career was covering WrestleMania 41 in 2025.

When Bethel is not writing for Sportskeeda, he loves to indulge in reading and singing.

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Edited by Pratik Singh