Last Time Is Now Tournament Begins Soon

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – SEPTEMBER 20: John Cena salutes during Wrestlepalooza at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on September 20, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Mike Marques/WWE via Getty Images)

WWE

Highlights

• WWE announces first four participants in Last Time is Now tournament to determine John Cena’s final opponent for December 13 retirement match
• Rusev faces Damian Priest while Sheamus battles Shinsuke Nakamura in opening-round matchups taking place in Cena’s hometown of Boston
• Twelve tournament spots remain open with speculation mounting about potential surprise entrants and cross-promotional possibilities

Who’s going to be John Cena’s opponent in his final WWE match on December 13 in Washington D.C. on Saturday Night’s Main Event? We know four of the 16 men who will be in the Last Time is Now tournament.

The winner will be Cena’s opponent in his legendary match. On Raw, Adam Pearce announced the first two matches in the upcoming tournament. Rusev will take on Damian Priest and Sheamus will face Shinsuke Nakamura on Raw in Cena’s hometown of Boston, Massachusetts.

Quite honestly, it would be a surprise if any of those four wound up being the winner of the tournament. Cena’s final opponent will likely be someone who can use the spotlight as a platform for elevation or a blast from the past whose presence will make the SNME show a major attraction.

Sheamus, Damian Priest, Nakamura nor Rusev check either of those boxes. Once we heard Cena break down the possibilities of opponents for the tournament, we knew there was no way the field would be stacked with logical winners.

There’s still 12 more spots left and I have some guesses about who WWE might elect to fill out the rest of the bracket.

Dominik Mysterio

Recently, future WWE Hall-of-Famer Natalya was on the Busted Open podcast and she said she’d love to see Mysterio get the spot.

I agree. You could argue Dom is the hottest young superstar in the promotion and this match could elevate him even higher.

Edge

Yes, he’s with AEW, but of all the people Cena has clashed with over his historic career, the Rated R Superstar is the only one of his legendary rivalries that he hasn’t faced on the farewell tour.

It would take some unprecedented collaboration between AEW and WWE, but never say never.

Carmelo Hayes

Hayes’ recent face turn might rule him out, but otherwise, he’s seemingly a guy at the right part of his career for this assignment. He could be spring-boarded with a win over Cena in his retirement match.

Austin Theory

They’ve met once before at WrestleMania 39, but things didn’t go well for Theory–despite his victory. With rumors swirling about Theory being repackaged, he would be an excellent fit for a rematch with Cena.

Omos

WWE has struggled mightily to properly book giants over the past 10 years. Omos has nearly unprecedented size and a distinct look. Could a hard-fought but dominant win over Cena be the right call and push for Omos to do something significant?

Trick Williams

At some point Trick has to get the call up to the big time. I’m not sure how much better he’s going to get on the mic while still down in NXT. Moving him up to Raw could be the final switch and a win over Cena would be legendary.

Joe Hendry

While he’s seemingly cooled off a bit over the past six months, Hendry’s name was on fire in 2024 and into the first part of 2025. He seems like a natural for one of WWE’s biggest brands. If he participates in Cena’s retirement match, he’ll make a huge impact with the promotion.

Oba Femi

If you haven’t seen him on NXT, let me tell you, Oba Femi is a monster and a future superstar with WWE. He has presence, power and he could an excellent choice as Cena’s last opponent.

I could imagine him having a rise similar to Stephanie Vaquer’s once he lands with one of the big brands.

Chris Jericho

Rumors suggest Jericho is on his way back to WWE. Most believe he’ll be back at the Royal Rumble. However, this spot against Cena in his retirement match is just as big. Jericho can pull it off, so we’ll see.

The Undertaker

I’m not sure the Phenom can work the match required to be Cena’s final opponent–let alone competing in the matches just to get to Cena. That said, Cena vs. Undertaker in the former’s last match would be epic.

CM Punk

I’m only putting Punk because he literally called Cena out on Raw. This seems unlikely, but there’s no doubt it’ll sell on name recognition and popularity. They also have quite the history, so it could be interesting.

Je’Von Evans

I’d be over the moon if Evans gets the spot. He is one of the most dynamic workers I’ve seen in decades and he’s on the uptick. Evans is one of the top attractions with NXT though he hasn’t won the title in the developmental league.

Still, he could be a great fit for this match and those two might bring down the house.