Where Does John Cena Go With Brock Lesnar Feud and Rest of His WWE Retirement Tour?

Following a Herculean effort at WWE SummerSlam, John Cena only has 12 appearances left before he retires from in-ring competition.

The 17-time world champion turned back the clock to deliver one of his best performances in years on Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to defeat Cody Rhodes.

The 2025 King of the Ring winner showed a great deal of respect for his idol, but he ultimately honored his vow to remain unwavering in his attempt to regain the Undisputed WWE Championship.

The two delivered one of the greatest matches of their respective careers and a seminal moment for WWE as Cena passed the torch to The American Nightmare. However, there was still a sense that the other shoe could drop as Rhodes departed with the title and the 48-year-old took a final bow.

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Viewers’ apprehensions about closing the stream or leaving their seats quickly became warranted as Brock Lesnar made his controversial return at the event he had grown synonymous with.

The Beast Incarnate's re-emergence was shocking and divisive because he was named in Janel Grant's federal lawsuit against WWE and its former chairman and CEO, Vince McMahon.

The comeback prompted Grant's representative to release a statement, and the sordid situation overshadowed what should have been the highlight of Cena's farewell tour so far. Although the company's lawyers reportedly cleared Lesnar to perform, his return will justifiably leave a bad taste in many fans' mouths.

Nevertheless, it's clear he returned to reignite his longtime rivalry with Cena, and he will play a major role in the remainder of his retirement tour. With such an explosive end to his short-lived heel turn, what else could WWE have in store for the second half of The GOAT's final year with the company?

A Problematic Showdown With Brock Lesnar

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Obviously, the cause of Lesnar's two-year absence will be an elephant in the room for many of us.

WWE has distanced itself from McMahon since his exit in 2024. However, the move to bring the former mixed martial artist back into the fray renews uncomfortable conversations about the work environment he fostered.

Even more, the shifting narratives to explain the motivation behind his return have been bizarre to say the least. WWE chief content officer Triple H initially made it seem like Cena wanted him back for one last feud.

During the latest episode of Raw, Michael Cole revealed WWE president Nick Khan and The Game reached out to Lesnar a few weeks ago and said, "We believe it's time for you to come home." To make this even more confusing, Cena told Adam's Apple, "They deal 'em, I play 'em," implying he wasn't involved in the decision.

We're already off to a rocky start, but the closing moments of SummerSlam were likely intended to evoke Lesnar's return to WWE in 2012. The Mayor of Suplex City famously showed up during the April 2 edition of Raw to challenge Cena for his spot as the face of the company in the lead-up to Extreme Rules.

The wrestler-turned-Hollywood star ultimately prevailed at the event. Still, the moment will also remind many of us of the beating Lesnar handed him at SummerSlam 2014, making him appear to be the most dangerous opponent on his road to retirement.

In fact, the West Newbury, Massachusetts native was never able to regain his title from him. Their feud ended with their last match, an acclaimed Triple Threat with Seth Rollins at Royal Rumble in 2015, so the story writes itself.

Attacking his old rival may have seemed random, but Cena was visibly shaken because Lesnar arguably handed him the most embarrassing loss of his career 10 years ago. Despite the controversy, it's a great way to make him the underdog again as a babyface.

Wish List of John Cena's Next Opponents

After his loss at Royal Rumble in 2015, Cena went on a popular run with the United States Championship. Of course, he kicked off that reign with his famous feud with Rusev.

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Now that the Bulgarian is back, it would make so much sense for them to face off again. After all, his match with Cena at WrestleMania 31 was his first loss via pinfall on the main roster.

Rusev's basis for revenge would simply be that he never recovered from the shame of losing to him, and he wants to redeem himself. It's perfectly in line with his motivations during his All Elite Wrestling run and return to WWE.

Speaking of the U.S. title, Carmelo Hayes should defeat Solo Sikoa for the mantle and reinstate the open challenge that Cena popularized. This would be a full-circle moment because Hayes mimicked his iconic WWE debut on NXT in 2021.

It would also give the 48-year-old a chance to answer the call and compete against a hungry up-and-comer.

Lastly, AJ Styles should be among Cena's last opponents for an upcoming premium live event. This may seem like too much retread, but their series of matches was incredible. As these two legends wind down their careers, it would be a shame if we didn't get one last encounter.