Backstage WWE Rumors on John Cena, Seth Rollins and More

The wrestling rumor mill continues to churn out reports on the biggest and brightest stars in the industry, including the most prominent of them all, John Cena.

The Never Seen 17 will retire in December, capping a career that saw him rise from generic also-ran of the Attitude Era to the biggest star of his generation and one of the greatest of all time.

A new report sheds some light on exactly when that retirement match may occur and what impact it could have on the rest of the wrestling world.

That topic headlines our collection of insider reports, including the locker room reaction to Seth Rollins' injury angle, Naomi's absence from Raw, and the timing of Asuka's upcoming heel turn.

John Cena Retirement Show Update

Michael Owens/WWE via Getty Images

Wrestling Observer Live's Bryan Alvarez reported there has been discussion within WWE about moving the planned Saturday Night's Main Event, featuring John Cena's final match, to December 27.

That would put the show head-to-head with AEW's World's End pay-per-view, a move that would be in line with what WWE has done of late with the counter-programming of its competitor's biggest events.

This report comes on the heels of another, from POST Wrestling's John Pollock and Brandon Thurston, which revealed WWE will counter-program AEW All Out on September 20 with a main roster premium live event.

Still, even that show would pale in comparison to Cena's last match running up against the opposition's year-end extravaganza. He is one of the all-time greats, with appeal beyond the wrestling world. His last match will draw interest and be a historic moment the likes of which do not come around often.

One would imagine it would do considerable harm to the AEW PPV viewership, which appears, at least on the surface, to be what WWE wants.

Backstage Reaction to Seth Rollins Injury Ruse

Georgiana Dallas/WWE via Getty Images

Mike Johnson of PWInsider Elite reported: "Obviously WWE can lie to anybody they want. It would appear during the Seth Rollins situation, much of which has left a very unhealthy flavor in the mouths of a lot of people who work behind the scenes for the company, as well as talents who are in-ring performers."

Rollins appeared to suffer a significant injury on the July 12 edition of Saturday Night's Main Event during a match with LA Knight. He was seen on crutches backstage at WWE Evolution the next night as well as everyday life, leading most to believe the injury was legit.

Pollock of POST Wrestling reported he had heard it was an angle and the injury was not real.

His report was validated in the closing moments of SummerSlam Saturday on August 2 when Rollins revealed the ruse, cashed in Money in the Bank on CM Punk, and captured the World Heavyweight Championship.

It remains to be seen if this will affect the manner in which WWE handles angles of this sort moving forward, but history suggests working the locker room is rarely met with warm regard from those backstage.

What's Going on With Naomi

Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images

There is still no update on what caused women's world champion Naomi to be scratched from Raw and designated "not medically cleared to compete," Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select reported on his Raw post-show, but it is a legit reason.

Naomi was originally scheduled to defend her championship Monday night on Raw against Iyo Sky, but it was announced shortly before the flagship show began that she was not cleared to compete so the match was cancelled.

Instead, Sky faced Roxanne Perez...and lost.

While Sapp did not speculate as to what is keeping Naomi out of action, Alvarez noted on Wrestling Observer Live that, if it was the rumor he was hearing, that she would be out of action for a long time.

Naomi has been amid a career year in 2025, thanks in large part to a character shift and her first championship run in eight years.

Latest on Asuka's Heel Turn

Michael Owens/WWE via Getty Images

Johnson reported Asuka's impending heel turn was sped up Monday due to the situation involving Naomi.

After Sky refused her friend and Kairi Sane's offer for backup in her match with Perez, The Kabuki Warriors interfered to her detriment anyway. The Empress of Tomorrow then berated the former women's champion and stormed off.

While not yet an official heel turn, it is clear the betrayal is coming, probably sooner than Triple H and the creative team intended, thanks to the current circumstances.

Rarely has a show been worse for having Asuka more prominently featured, though, so the more Empress of Tomorrow on Raw, the better off the women's division will be.