Ranking the WWE Stars Who Should Dethrone John Cena as Undisputed Champion
With 22 appearances left on his farewell tour, many have tried to predict who will defeat John Cena to win the Undisputed WWE Championship.
The star of Peacemaker is set to hang up his jorts for good and retire from in-ring competition in December. In the meantime, he plans to ruin pro wrestling for the fans he believes never truly appreciated him.
Although this historic heel change started well, the months since Elimination Chamber on March 1 have been uninspiring. Hopefully, it picks up now that Cody Rhodes is back in the fold, and the ending justifies weeks of repetitive promos and overbooked matches.
The American Nightmare and Cena must have a better match in them than their performance at WrestleMania 41. So, will Rhodes be the one end his reign?
This is our ranking of the five WWE stars who should dethrone The Last Real Champion.
5. Roman Reigns
1 of 5
If anyone should take issue with what Cena has done to the Undisputed WWE Championship, it's Roman Reigns.
After all, The Tribal Chief popularized this version of the title before Rhodes ended his record-setting reign at WrestleMania 40. So, Reigns is among the most logical challengers to reclaim his mantle and restore the prestige imbued during his tenure.
This would also be a nice way for WWE to complete the face turn and redemption arc he started last year. Many of its viewers would also love to see the 40-year-old take his place as the company's top star again.
However, it's hard to imagine Reigns would regain the main title and continue to work his current schedule. It would also be better to see someone new claim the top spot after his last run loomed over both brands for so long.
4. Gunther
2 of 5
Gunther is a dark horse compared to the rest of the entries on this list, but he would be a much more interesting choice than Reigns.
The Ring General should see Cena's crusade to ruin wrestling as an affront to everything he stood for as champion. His philosophy is "the mat is sacred." He deeply respects the squared circle and pro wrestling's rich history.
This is his life's work, and any attempt to deface the traditions he dutifully celebrates and protects is an insult. His brief interaction with Logan Paul during the May 19 episode of Raw and his feud with Pat McAfee showed he values respect, too.
It's hard to imagine Gunther wouldn't admonish Cena for lashing out and making a mockery of the sport because he's not good enough to win on his own merits anymore. Still, the Austrian probably isn't the most ideal candidate to save the company because of his rigid and domineering viewpoint.
3. Drew McIntyre
3 of 5
Drew McIntyre belongs in the world title picture following his rivalry with CM Punk in 2024.
Even more, his parallels with The Second City Saint would make him a great foil for Cena, but he also has a lot in common with Rhodes. They both left WWE, built themselves into bigger stars and returned to accomplish their dream of winning the men's Royal Rumble and the company's top prize at WrestleMania.
Cena and Punk represent the old guard, and The Scottish Warrior could be the one who steps up to lead in this era. That would be a great story considering his history as "The Chosen One" and his drive to return to The Showcase of the Immortals as champion on his terms.
After everything the Scot has done to get back to the top of the mountain, he is one of the best options to dethrone Cena.
It's time for McIntyre to move past his petty grudges and selfish motives and become the leader he believed the company deserved during his initial stint with WWE.
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2. CM Punk
4 of 5
CM Punk and Cena will inevitably cross paths after the closing stretch of the men’s Elimination Chamber match in March.
The Chicago native has also been vying for a chance to win championship gold again since he vanquished McIntyre at Bad Blood.
The stage is set for this iconic matchup to come to a head one last time, and it's only a matter of time before we see if they can reproduce some of the magic they created together previously.
The reactions to Punk have only gotten louder since WrestleMania 41, and the atmosphere will be electric when they clash again. There aren't many other opponents as fitting as The Best in the World to end Cena's 17th reign and send him into retirement.
That would certainly be an unexpected end to their storied rivalry. Who would have guessed Punk would return to WWE or that the company's longest-standing protagonist would turn heel?
1. Cody Rhodes
5 of 5
Cody Rhodes has to be the favorite to dethrone Cena and save wrestling from the man he idolized.
This started with Rhodes at Elimination Chamber, and it's up to him to eventually finish it because he didn't lose fair and square at WrestleMania 41. The second-generation star still has unfinished business with the champ, as he stated during the latest episode of SmackDown.
Even worse, he hesitated long enough for the 48-year-old to take advantage of the situation and cheat to win. Cena wasn't the better man that night; he was merely willing to go low to fuel his ego trip.
The American Nightmare still feels like the guy, and their story isn't done yet. This should end with the passing-of-the-torch moment that many were expecting on The Grandest Stage of Them All.
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