Survivor Series 2025 Might Be Remembered as the Night WWE Finally Bridged Generations

It isn't often pro wrestling fans can say a WWE PLE might go down in history for all the right reasons, yet here comes the 2025 edition of Survivor Series.

Thank John Cena. 

Well in advance, too. The writing is already on the proverbial wall. Barring a shocking development before the November 29 event, Cena will reportedly have a rematch with Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental title, according to Wrestling Observer Radio, Dave Meltzer (h/t Jeff Whalen of Rajah.com). 

Those same fans know exactly what will happen in that match, too. 

But this goes far beyond Cena passing the torch to Mysterio while taking a loss in the title match. 

There was a report not too long ago that it was Cena who flexed his influence over recent PLE happenings. According to Bryan Alvarez (h/t Randall Ortman of Cageside Seats), it was Cena who pushed for the main roster to showcase NXT elements during Saturday Night's Main Event.

Naturally, one can presume Cena might do something similar over Survivor Series, too. The stipulation-based PLE still needs its two WarGames matches, sure. But perhaps the rest of the card gets fleshed out in a way that showcases the future of the sport in a big way, too. 

And hey, maybe that's just wishful thinking. But the longstanding expectation that legends spend their final matches going out on their backs while putting the next generation over big certainly fits with what we know about Cena.

And what bigger way to do it than by crowning Mysterio and repeatedly putting other next-big-thing names in the spotlight? These final Cena moments might have some of the biggest pro wrestling viewership ever, so why wouldn't he lean into making it all about the sport and company's future without him?

Still, even if we just zoom in on the Mysterio thing, it's hard not to get excited. Dominik has long, long been a top choice for Cena's final opponent. That's not happening now, but it's also hard to spitball a better avenue than this. 

Cena's big win on Raw was shocking, and in hindsight, a little predictable to get him that Grand Slam status, but in no way worse off for it: 

It's also a career-defining loss for Mysterio. Literally nobody in history can claim to be the guy who worked Cena's Grand Slam match at the end of his career. 

And now Mysterio gets to take his win back in one of Cena's final matches on a PLE with a historical spotlight shining down on it. 

The history between Cena and the Mysterio family is immense. Their in-ring chemistry, obvious. The behind-the-curtain generation of fans know all too well what's happening, yet will love every second of it. 

This isn't just a boon for Mysterio, either, though it'll be fun in future years while he's a heel to hear him bragging about basically "retiring" Cena. It's also about the silver lining that is keeping the door open for who-knows-what at Cena's actual, final match in mid-December. 

Maybe Cena's real, last opponent is an LA Knight, Gunther or one of the big to-be-announced names like a Randy Orton. Heck, maybe the yeah, right, option comes into play and Edge somehow gets in the mix. 

But Survivor Series? Pro wrestling fans have long yearned for an official passing-of-the-torch major event. Even years ago when Drew McIntyre was shockingly hunting and taking down Brock Lesnar, it didn't feel like we were there yet. Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes have been more hot potato than passing the torch. 

Cena's match with Mysterio, though, is finally it. And there's nobody in the sport better equipped to take it and run with it for a decade-plus than Dominik, so anyone complaining about the move can be safely ignored.