5 Best Options for John Cena's Opponent at WWE Survivor Series WarGames 2025

John Cena's days as an active performer in WWE are coming to an end, and one of the remaining dates is Survivor Series: War Games 2025 on November 29.

The intercontinental champion is awaiting the winner of the Last Time Is Now Tournament to face him on December 13 in his final match, but who is the best opponent to face The Unseen 17 before then at Petco Park in San Diego?

As it turns out, there are a handful of intriguing options.

5. Finn Bálor

Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images

From the moment Dominik Mysterio won the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 41, Finn Bálor has undermined his Judgment Day teammate, putting him in positions to lose his title and then watching with dismay when he did not.

Now that Mysterio has lost the IC title to Cena, what better way for the Irishman to prove his superiority to the second-generation star by doing what Dom could not by beating The GOAT and win back the IC gold for the faction?

It is a creative decision that furthers the Judgment Day narrative and results in what would likely be a good matchup.

Bálor and Cena have not competed against each other since the January 29, 2018 episode of Raw, which means it is a fresh contest that WWE should explore before it's too late.

4. Sheamus

Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images

Like Cena, Sheamus is one of the most decorated Superstars of his generation. Also like Cena, he has one glaring hole on his resume: the Intercontinental Championship.

Cena exorcised that demon with his victory over Dominik Mysterio, but The Celtic Warrior still awaits the one title victory that will complete the WWE Grand Slam.

Sheamus has already advanced in the Last Time Is Now Tournament for the chance to be Cena's last opponent, but a more effective use of him might be to challenge the veteran for the IC title at Survivor Series.

The Irishman is a better worker now than he was at the height of their rivalry shortly after his main roster arrival, and the match would likely be one of his trademark bangers.

While unlikely due to his involvement in the ongoing tournament, Sheamus would have made a great opponent who would have won over the crowd and injected the undercard of the WarGames-centric premium live event with some high-stakes action.

3. Rey Mysterio

Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images

Longtime WWE fans know Cena kind of owes Rey Mysterio one.

In 2011, The Master of the 619 beat The Miz for the WWE Championship, only for Cena to convince the future Hall of Famer to defend the title against him that same night.

Ever the good guy, the luchador agreed and subsequently lost the title on the same night he won it.

It rubbed fans the wrong way and felt more like an attempt to throw them off the scent of another predictable Cena title reign than a clever use of creativity.

Fast-forward 14 years, and Cena is the IC champion again, having defeated Mysterio's son and has a fantastic opportunity to right the wrong from over a decade earlier.

With Survivor Series in Mysterio's hometown of San Diego, a rematch between two of the greatest of all time, on one of the biggest stages in WWE, would represent a make-good decision.

The Master of the 619 could casually mention that time he granted Cena a championship match and ask him for a shot at Survivor Series, and Raw general manager Adam Pearce could announce it officially the same night.

It would be an easy way to get two stars of that magnitude in the same ring.

2. The Vision (in WarGames)

Michael Marques/WWE via Getty Images

For the longest time, The Unseen 17 was mockingly labeled "Super Cena" by fans who noticed the creative team's knack for having him come back against the toughest of odds, sometimes in nonsensical fashion.

While those years appear to be behind us, what better way to pay homage to the company's resident superhero than by having Cena stand alongside undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes, world heavyweight champion CM Punk, and The Usos as they battle Logan Paul, Drew McIntyre, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, and an as-yet unnamed fifth member of the heel squad?

It gives Cena a chance to go out on top one last time at a PLE and to do it in a match in which he has never competed: WarGames.

Does it make sense from a creative perspective? Not necessarily, but this is all about saying goodbye to one of the greatest stars the industry has seen and letting him close out Survivor Series by accomplishing another first-time feat.

1. Dominik Mysterio

Rich Freeda/WWE via Getty Images

Cena won his first career Intercontinental Championship, thus completing the WWE Grand Slam, by defeating Dominik Mysterio on the Nov. 10 episode of Raw.

That match, a brilliant example of crowd manipulation, was as fun as you will see on major pro wrestling TV in 2025. What better way to enhance the Survivor Series card than by running it back in the former champion's hometown?

Petco Park will be fervent in its support of Dirty Dom while still showing Cena the love and admiration he deserves as he enters the final stretch of his iconic career.

It is the perfect location for a rematch, at one of the company's premier PLEs, and is the clear best use of both at the annual event, especially if the plan is for Cena to drop the title before his final match.