Who Will Finally Step Up to Become the 'Next John Cena' for WWE?
John Cena's absence from WWE will unquestionably be felt now that his in-ring retirement is official following Saturday Night's Main Event.
The Unseen 17 went to war with Gunther and ultimately tapped out in shocking fashion, marking the first time he has lost a match by formal submission in over 20 years.
Although he had been a part-time performer for the last decade, Cena's presence still loomed large over the company. He previously served as the face who ran the place and the standard bearer for main-event excellence, in addition to being prominently featured whenever he did occasionally appear.
Roman Reigns was the first to take the torch from Cena and run rampant over the roster as WWE's top dog, both as a babyface and as a heel later on. Cody Rhodes was then appointed the new leader when he unseated Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship at WrestleMania 40.
With Rhodes already 40-years-old, however, WWE must start looking toward the future and building up the next crop of competitors.
There's no shortage of potential players for the role, especially with the abundance in the youth currently in NXT.
These six stars have the best chance of stepping up and becoming the next John Cena.
Bron Breakker
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Bron Breakker is one month away from potentially winning his first World Heavyweight Championship, and if Triple H was a truly gutsy booker, he would crown him the new champ on that first Raw of 2026.
Breakker's been ready for prime time for some time now. He had a decorated and dominant run in NXT and was gradually built up shortly after arriving on the main roster in early 2024, culminating in him capturing the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam.
Although his alliance with Seth Rollins in The Vision was short-lived, it did wonders for Breakker in terms of exposing him to the main-event scene and allowing him to work with notable names such as CM Punk, LA Knight and The Usos.
Breakker has since taken over the reins of the group after exiling the injured Rollins back in October and has his sights set on dethroning Punk for the prestigious prize on Jan. 5 edition of Raw. WWE may want to wait until WrestleMania 42 to give him his monumental moment, but there's no reason to delay the inevitable.
He's extremely skilled in the mic and has turned into an intense talker. Combining that with his impressive pedigree as a Steinter and him only being 28-years-old, it's no surprise WWE views him as the next big thing.
Oba Femi
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Oba Femi's ascent to super stardom in NXT has certainly been something to behold.
Shortly after winning NXT's Breakout Tournament, he secured the NXT North American Championship and embarked on a record-setting reign with it that lasted nearly nine months. It wasn't long before he won the NXT Championship as well and is now in the midst of his second stint with it.
Femi being selected as one of the NXT stars to represent the brand at Saturday Night's Main Event was no coincidence. He's a massive star in the making, and his promising potential was on full display in his short-but-sweet sprint with Undisputed WWE champion Cody Rhodes.
He has size on his side along with above-average mic skills and in-ring explosiveness. The Ruler is only 27-years-old and obviously has many years of significant success ahead of him.
Once he wraps up this run with the NXT title, WWE should be looking to transition Femi to either Raw or SmackDown and begin building around him as the future face of the company. A world title win doesn't need to be imminent, but there's also no need for WWE to wait much longer than another year or two to position Femi as a top-tier talent.
Je'Von Evans
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Je'Von Evans is coming off an incredible breakout year that has seen him shine on NXT, AAA, TNA, Raw and SmackDown.
He has yet to collect championship gold, but he should definitely dethrone Oba Femi for the NXT Championship before he finally leaves NXT in the coming months. Beyond that, sky's the limit for what he can accomplish based on the stellar showings he had every time he popped up on the main roster throughout 2025.
He excels as the underdog and never ceases to get crowds invested in his matches. He was even involved in John Cena's The Last Time Is Now Tournament, where he had one of the most memorable television matches all year with Gunther on Raw in Madison Square Garden.
Evans is a rare case of a 21-year-old who not only belongs on either or Raw or SmackDown right now but will have no issue fitting right in. His unmatched athleticism and likability alone will get him far and ensure he's a fan favorite from the get-go.
If he can continue to hone his skills, he can win over the audience similar to how Cena did early on in his career and be a babyface capable of carrying the company.
Jacob Fatu
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He may be out of sight and out of mind at the moment, but Jacob Fatu remains a very important piece of WWE's future.
The 33-year-old joined WWE in the spring of 2024 after spending several years making a name for himself across the independent scene. He was an instant standout in The Bloodline and headlined multiple premium live events within months of debuting on SmackDown.
Breaking away from The Bloodline was the best thing that could have happened to him, as it showed the audience what he could do on his own and that he has serious main-event potential. He's every bit as excellent in the ring as he is on the mic and has charisma befitting of a beloved babyface.
Fatu's aggressive singles push cooled off ever so slightly when he lost the United States Championship to Solo Sikoa over the summer and was subsequently sidelined with an injury, but he should pick right up where he left off when he's ready to return.
Fatu is another young gun WWE can and should build around on television, and his electric presence outside of the ring can make him a valuable asset to the company as well.
Trick Williams
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Trick Williams has spent so long down in developmental that it's easy to forget he's only 31 and has a lot left to offer in WWE in every respect.
He's been a big success story for NXT as a former NXT North American champion, two-time NXT champion and even a TNA World champion. Being one of the building blocks of the brand is enough evidence that he has what it takes to do same on SmackDown or Raw when the time comes, and that time should be coming on the sooner side.
Williams has been doing the honors quite a bit as of late with the idea being that he's main roster bound by the onset of 2026, and SmackDown expanding to three hours on Jan. 2 is a perfect opportunity for him to join that show and help fill out the roster.
He's not as well-rounded of a performer as others listed, but he can form a connection with fans fairly easily, both as a babyface and as a heel. He's also proven to be phenomenal in the ambassador role as far as making the media rounds and repping the company with pride.
He checks all the boxes of what WWE tends to look for in its world champions, and he'll only improve over time.
Rhea Ripley
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Who said WWE's future can't be female?
Rhea Ripley had an organic rise through the ranks of NXT UK and NXT before making it to the main roster in March 2021. She won the Raw Women's Championship relatively quickly, but it took time for her to find her footing as a character and connect with the crowd.
That came through her heel turn and being recruited into The Judgment Day. There, she found herself and embraced everything that made her unique. In the process, she broke through the proverbial glass ceiling and became an absolute mega star in the women's division.
WWE has plenty of fantastic women's wrestlers who could conceivably be the face of the franchise in the same way John Cena was, but Ripley in particular has been eternally over these past few years and has had strong staying power as a fixture toward the top of the card and as a undeniable draw.
As a Superstar who is equally inspiring as they are intimidating, The Eradicator personifies what this new era is about: grit, authenticity and aura. WWE may have finally found a suitable successor to Cena long-term, and amazingly, she's merely scratched the surface of what more she can do.
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.
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