John Cena Talks Retirement, WWE Rumors on CM Punk, AJ Styles, Gunther vs. Finn Balor

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Cena Discusses New Look Since Retirement

John Cena retired as an active professional wrestler last December, but he has continued to make periodic appearances for WWE, especially lately with regard to the upcoming John Cena Classic.

While Cena still sports a familiar look from his wrestling days with his trademark T-shirt and hat, he has also made a conscious effort to change things up.

Cena explained his line of thinking in an interview with SI.com's Rick Ucchino this week.

"Those weren't jorts in Brooklyn, and they weren't jorts on NXT. I'm wearing cargo shorts," Cena said. "I'm not wearing any wristbands, I don't have a towel and I don't have any knee pads. So, when I said the jorts are retired, the f----ing jorts are retired. ...

"I don't wanna confuse the consumer. If I show up in dress shoes in a suit with a pocket watch, hopefully the consumer isn't gonna think one more match. John's not really done. That didn't work. They still chanted one more match. And I love wearing suits. Also, Cody Rhodes gets beat up in suits. So, the one thing I was trying to accomplish was really murky."

Cena had the final match of his legendary career on Saturday Night's Main Event, which took place on Dec. 13, 2025.

While Cena tapped out in a loss to Gunther, much to the chagrin of a large portion of the WWE Universe, he still received a heartwarming send-off from WWE Superstars and the fans.

Cena remains an important part of the WWE family as an ambassador, and he has been front and center lately as the face of the John Cena Classic.

The 17-time world champion has invited several WWE main roster and NXT Superstars to participate for a chance to become the first John Cena Classic champion, including Cody Rhodes.

Cena will undoubtedly be on hand for the John Cena Classic when it takes place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 14.

Reported Future of Punk, Styles in NXT

Amid rumors of WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels eventually assuming Bruce Prichard's role on WWE's main roster as creative director, new details have emerged regarding what that could mean for NXT.

According to PWInsider.com (h/t WrestlePurists), CM Punk is viewed as the person most likely to succeed Michaels if and when he makes the move from NXT to the main roster.

Punk has reportedly been present for the "majority" of NXT television tapings in recent weeks, and he is being "prepped" to take over Michaels' position.

As for WWE Hall of Famer AJ Styles, PWInsider.com (h/t WrestlePurists) reports that WWE wants to use him as a scout for the WWE ID program rather than as Michaels' replacement.

PWInsider did note that Styles has been more involved with NXT lately as a producer, though, due in part to Terry Taylor's absence after undergoing knee surgery.

Last month, PWInsider.com's Mike Johnson was the first to report that Prichard is expected to step down from his position after WrestleMania 43 in order to work more from home.

Johnson added at the time that Michaels was considered Prichard's most likely replacement.

There is little doubt that NXT would be in good hands in the event that Punk and Styles take on bigger roles once Michaels departs, but it is fair to wonder if Punk can or will be in NXT full time while he continues to wrestle.

At 48 years of age, Punk is in the latter stages of his career, but he continues to wrestle at a high level and appears to have plenty left in the tank.

Should Punk be the direct replacement for Michaels, it could require him to scale back on his wrestling or perhaps even retire in the near future.

That would be a big loss for WWE programming, but Punk's credentials speak for themselves when it comes to his fit as head of NXT.

WWE's Reported Plans for Gunther vs. Balor

WWE is reportedly still planning a match between Gunther and Finn Balor despite it not taking place last weekend at Crown Jewel.

According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlePurists), Gunther vs. Balor was originally planned for Crown Jewel, but it did not take place despite shooting angles for it.

However, Gunther vs. Balor is reportedly still planned to happen at a later date, although it isn't clear when.

Meltzer added that Gunther vs. Balor was removed from Crown Jewel because Gunther decided against traveling to Saudi Arabia for the show amid the recent conflict with Yemen.

Over the past several weeks, Gunther and Balor have had several altercations on SmackDown, including the Halloween-themed episode on Oct. 30 when Balor showed up as The Demon and attacked The Ring General.

Given how long-running the feud between Gunther and Balor has been, there is little doubt that they will settle the score at some point.

The only question relates to whether it will happen on an episode of SmackDown or at an upcoming premium live event such as Survivor Series or Wrestlepalooza.