Best John Cena Opponents for WWE Retirement Match

As a 17-time world champion, John Cena is unquestionably one of the greatest Superstars in the history of professional wrestling, but there is still another chapter of his career yet to be written.

Last week on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Cena declined to name an opponent for the last match of his career in December, leaving the door open for the WWE Universe to speculate on who could earn the honor.

Here are the best opponents for Cena's final match.

The Rock

With Triple H acknowledging Cena has a heavy influence on who he fights during his retirement tour, the biggest possible matchup for a grand finale would be a third chapter against The Rock.

The Great One was the catalyst for Cena's heel turn, but a lack of follow-up left many fans scratching their heads in terms of his lack of involvement in the angle. To bring the story full circle, WWE Creative should have The Rock end Cena's career once and for all.

Cena and Rock have a long history, with two WrestleMania main events together under their belt. While putting over a younger star would be the right move, a third and final chapter in their trilogy would have mainstream appeal.

Once The Rock disposes of Cena, he should begin a retirement tour of his own, which must culminate with Roman Reigns getting the honor of putting his cousin on the shelf for good.

Kevin Owens

While Kevin Owens may be dealing with a serious neck injury, the hope is he will be able to return in time to be Cena's final match.

After their storied history, KO brutally beating his longtime foe into retirement would be the best way to give someone else a rub on the way out.

Owens' debut on the main roster was at Elimination Chamber 2015, where he shocked the world and beat Cena. What better way for the veteran to close the wrestling chapter of his career than by letting The Prizefighter complete the full-circle moment with another marquee victory?

Since their rivalry, the two men have been open about their mutual respect, and that could be the basis of their final matchup. In the build to the bout, though, Owens can turn heel and dominate Cena, leaving him a broken mess as he walks out the door.

A monster heel run for Owens after destroying Cena would make WWE must-watch TV.

Austin Theory

For many fans, Cena's career has featured a litany of burials and moments where he could have helped another performer but instead chose to make himself look good.

Few have been negatively impacted by the legend more than Austin Theory.

The two men squared off at WrestleMania 39, where Theory defeated Cena for the United States Championship. The problem was that the veteran used personal attacks to make the WWE Universe question whether his opponent even deserved the matchup.

As seen from Theory's booking since the bout, Cena buried the young performer and negatively impacted his career trajectory. Now, as the veteran is about to walk away from the ring, it's time for him to right his wrong.

Cena should make his final match an open challenge that Theory can answer. As the 17-time champion begins running down his rival, the 28-year-old should brutalize Cena and show a new edge that his character has been lacking.

This time, Cena should say all the right things to build up his challenger and then go out on his back, possibly remedying the lack of support Theory has faced since their previous matchup.

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