John Cena is planning to retire in 2025 and wants to make it a special event.

He will start his retirement tour in January to coincide with WWE RAW moving to Netflix. Cena plans to work 30-40 dates, including Royal Rumble and WrestleMania Premium Live Events, until December.

While Cena hasn’t announced his opponents for the tour, many Superstars have shown interest in working with him before he retires. Ideally, Triple H would have Cena support new and rising stars while also facing some familiar faces.

• Karrion Kross is still trying to find his groove in NXT. He was a big focus for Triple H in the Black and Gold era. Kross made his debut on RAW as the NXT Champion, but unfortunately lost to Jeff Hardy quickly. Kross was let go during the pandemic, but was later rehired by Levesque in August 2022.

The Final Testament, a two-time NXT Champion, now has a group with Authors of Pain and Paul Ellering. He is currently in a feud with The New Day on RAW. Kross has had a hard time connecting with WWE fans. A rivalry with John Cena could boost Kross and his group.

• Eddy Thorpe worked at New Japan Pro Wrestling using his real name Karl Fredericks. He achieved victory in the Young Lion Cup in 2019. Thorpe showcases his Native American background in the ring and has faced off against former WWE stars Damon Kemp and Dijak. If Triple H includes NXT talents in John Cena’s retirement tour, Thorpe would be a perfect addition. He excels in the ring and would definitely grow from appearing on TV with the GOAT.

• Montez Ford has been part of WWE since 2016, but his talents and charm have often been ignored. Triple H himself praised Ford for his excellent performance at Elimination Chamber 2023. However, WWE Creative seems hesitant to let Ford go solo at this time. Ford has the potential to be a big star in the TKO era. If WWE includes him in the John Cena farewell tour, he could really stand out. He has already been a tag team champion on NXT, RAW, and SmackDown. It’s high time for Ford to get his chance to shine as a singles competitor.

• Ilja Dragunov appeared in his first match on RAW before the 2024 WWE Draft. He lost his NXT Championship to Trick Williams at NXT Spring Breakin’ Week One.
Dragunov switched to the red brand after finishing his rivalry with Trick.

Dragunov has been consistently involved in high-profile rivalries, delivering exciting matches for fans to enjoy on a regular basis. Fans and fellow wrestlers alike have recognized Ilja’s dedication to the sport.
It would be beneficial for him to engage in a storyline or partnership with John Cena when RAW is available on Netflix in 2025.

John Cena has the potential to help Chad Gable in the same way Kurt Angle helped Cena when he first started on the main roster in 2002.

Cena and Angle started off as opponents but eventually became close friends.
Cena even inducted Angle into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2017. Randy Orton has also shown support for Chad Gable. Gable’s skills in the ring and ability to portray his character could lead to a prominent storyline or tag team partnership with Cena in 2025.