Predictions For John Cena, Cody Rhodes, More Top Stars After WWE Survivor Series

WWE's first-ever stadium Survivor Series should have been significantly more eventful than it was, especially when it came to planting seeds for WrestleMania season.

Both WarGames matches were solid and featured enjoyable action but will hardly be remembered as instant classics. AJ Lee submitting Becky Lynch in women's WarGames effectively furthered that feud, while Bron Breakker pinning CM Punk to win WarGames for the men seamlessly sets him up for a shot at the World Heavyweight Championship.

The premium live event emanating from Petco Park in San Diego also marked John Cena's last as an active competitor and saw him lose his recently-won Intercontinental Championship to Dominik Mysterio, thanks to an assist from the returning Liv Morgan.

Cena must now put the prestigious prize in his rear view as he shifts his focus toward his final match at Saturday Night's Main Event on Dec. 13.

In the immediate aftermath of Survivor Series 2025, let's look at what's next for Cena, Cody Rhodes and other top stars from the show.

John Cena

A lot will be said about what could have been done differently during John Cena's WWE retirement tour, but all that matters at the moment is ensuring his last match goes off as perfectly as possible.

As of Friday's SmackDown, the four men remaining in The Last Time Is Now Tournament are Jey Uso, LA Knight, Solo Sikoa and Gunther. The finals will be held this week to determine Cena's opponent, and Gunther is the odds-on favorite to earn the honor.

Cena will not appear again until Saturday Night's Main Event on Dec. 13, so WWE will need to build up this marquee match without him between now and then. Gunther is not only established but is also a fresh face Cena has never crossed paths before.

A win for The Unseen 17 in his grand sendoff would make for a feel-good moment, but losing to the two-time World Heavyweight champion would better serve the future of the company. Gunther is already coming off a dominant victory over Gunther this past summer and adding a name the caliber of Cena to the list of legends he's retired would make him even more of a force to be reckoned with.

LA Knight would be a fine choice as well, but Gunther is guaranteed to get the best bout out of Cena if he's the one to share the squared circle with him for his final match.

Cody Rhodes

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Cody Rhodes always appeared to be a random addition to the men's WarGames match on paper, but his involvement made more sense once his archrival Drew McIntyre joined the heel team soon after.

The two have been at odds for months over the Undisputed WWE Championship on SmackDown. Rhodes knocked off McIntyre at both Wrestlepalooza and the Nov. 1 installment of Saturday Night's Main Event, yet their rivalry has raged on and continued in WarGames at Survivor Series.

Although neither man was a part of the finishing sequence, McIntyre will surely use his team's victory as leverage when demanding another opportunity at the blue brand's top title. It'd also be appropriate for WWE to blow off the feud with one final singles match so both Rhodes and McIntyre can move on.

Waiting until the Royal Rumble in January would be stretching out a storyline that's already stale. It's imperative that their match take place well before then, and if Saturday Night's Main Event on Dec. 13 is going to be all about John Cena, then it'd be a worthy attraction for an episode of SmackDown instead.

From there, Rhodes can set his sights on other challengers waiting in the wings, namely the returning Randy Orton.

AJ Lee

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AJ Lee's WWE return run has been nothing short of spectacular so far and is thankfully just getting started.

She successfully joined Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky, Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss to defeat Becky Lynch, Nia Jax, Lash Legend and The Kabuki Warriors in WarGames at Survivor Series. Most notably, it was Lee who picked up the win for her team by forcing Lynch to tap out.

Lee did the same in her mixed tag team match with her husband CM Punk against Lynch and her husband Seth Rollins at Wrestlepalooza. Lee also cost Lynch the Women's Intercontinental Championship on Raw in Madison Square Garden earlier this month.

Lynch should be looking for revenge sooner rather than later, and similar to Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre, there's no need for them to hold off until the Royal Rumble to wage war again. The three-time Divas champion has proven she's ready for singles competition and becoming more of a regular fixture in Raw's women's division going forward.

Lee and Lynch's interaction at Survivor Series indicates their bad blood is far from over.

CM Punk

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CM Punk kicked off WarGames for his team and fought valiantly throughout, only to get pinned by Bron Breakker in the end.

It was only earlier in the month that Punk regained the World Heavyweight Championship by beating Jey Uso for the vacant gold at Saturday Night's Main Event. He has yet to defend it, but all signs point to Breakker being next in line.

Punk may first have to settle his score with Logan Paul before dealing with Breakker, but the bout is inevitable, regardless. Punk vs. Breakker is an ideal attraction for the Royal Rumble, which is where Breakker can finally fulfill his destiny by becoming world champ.

Punk's path to WrestleMania 42 isn't quite as apparent, but it doesn't have to be as World Heavyweight champion. He could just as easily win the Royal Rumble or Elimination Chamber and shift over to SmackDown to challenge Cody Rhodes, or play off the tension he's teased as of late with Roman Reigns and go one-on-one with him at the event.

Above all else, Punk should be back to being a fighting title holder as soon as Monday's Raw and take on anyone who steps up, especially if his days with the coveted championship are indeed numbered.

Roman Reigns

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Roman Reigns was the ultimate difference maker for the babyface team going into the men's WarGames match at Survivor Series, reluctantly agreeing to join forces with Cody Rhodes and CM Punk provided that he be first in line for an opportunity afterward.

Sure enough, Reigns was noticeably on edge while facing off with Punk and Rhodes to close the event following their loss to Paul Heyman's stacked squad. It's logical he would want to go back after the title he never received a rematch for, but there's much more appeal in him targeting Punk than Rhodes after already facing Rhodes at WrestleMania twice.

As previously noted, the World Heavyweight Championship should soon find its way to Bron Breakker, making him a likely WrestleMania opponent for Reigns as well. Reigns has yet to finish his feud with The Vision and them clashing at The Show of Shows would be an excellent payoff.

Expect Reigns to disappear until closer to the Royal Rumble, where he'll reemerge and announce his intention to enter the field. There isn't much else for him to do in the meantime now that it's become clear that his next goal is regaining a world title.

Once Reigns is ready to return, Breakker should be in possession of the prestigious prize and prepared for a program with The Tribal Chief in time for WrestleMania.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.