3 Options For John Cena’s Opponent On His Final WWE Raw At Madison Square Garden

Who should John Cena face on Monday’s WWE Raw at Madison Square Garden in New York City?

Cena’s second-to-last appearance on the red brand was a successful one, as he defeated Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship on last week’s Raw in Boston. The victory allowed Cena to finally become a Grand Slam Champion in WWE.

However, it appears that won’t be Cena’s final match on Raw.

The record-setting 17-time World Champion revealed on Friday that he will wrestle his 545th match on next week’s Raw at the World’s Most Famous Arena, giving WWE fans another signature moment on Cena’s retirement tour.

Over 23 years you’ve allowed me to have 544 matches on #WWERaw. The most in WWE history. My favorite match.. is my next one! Which will be our LAST ONE! Don’t miss our last chance to grace @TheGarden ring as we say farewell to RAW live, Monday night on @netflix at 8pm ET!
— John Cena (@JohnCena) November 14, 2025

Who should be opposite Cena in his last Raw match?

Here are three of the most intriguing options.

CM Punk vs. John Cena

This would likely be the most popular choice for many WWE fans.

While it appeared that Cena and Punk had the final match in their historic WWE rivalry way back at Night of Champions in June, the dynamic is different now.

Cena has returned to the good side, and a special match with the current World Heavyweight Champion would allow for a grand finale that meets the high fan expectations of such an occasion.

Another potential twist: What if the match also serves as a catalyst for adding more people to the Men’s WarGames Match at Survivor Series?

Brock Lesnar could return to take aim at both Cena and Punk, and perhaps that facilitates the return of Roman Reigns. Lesnar joins the team of Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed, Logan Paul, and Drew McIntyre, and Reigns joins the team of Punk, Cody Rhodes, Jey Uso, and Jimmy Uso.

What about Cena? There was speculation he would join WarGames, but WWE added Jimmy to the match on SmackDown, which removes one of those coveted spots on the Punk and Cody team.

That could mean that WWE has something else in mind for Cena at Survivor Series...

Rey Mysterio vs. John Cena

Again, Cena is the current Intercontinental Champion after defeating Dominik. What better way to troll ‘Dirty Dom’ than by having Cena hand a title match to the father that Dom hates?

WWE already teased the possibility by having Cena and Rey interact after Cena’s victory over the former champ.

Rey hasn’t wrestled since April due to injury, but he recently returned to reignite his rivalry with his son. And with Survivor Series set for Petco Park in San Diego, there are two clear options for WWE: The hometown Mysterios going one-on-one, or Dominik getting his rematch with Cena.

Nobody is happier to see John Cena as Intercontinental Champion than Rey Mysterio! 💀 pic.twitter.com/0GyAIjGzOi
— WWE (@WWE) November 11, 2025

If WWE does do Cena vs. Rey at MSG, Dominik will without question play a role in the match, and it’s a simple approach to set up the Cena rematch or the highly anticipated showdown with Rey.

It’s a win-win for WWE.

Bron Breakker vs. John Cena

Other names being mentioned online as Cena’s final Raw opponent include LA Knight, Sheamus, and more.

The issue with those options is that both men are still in the ‘Last Time Is Now Tournament’ to determine Cena’s final WWE opponent at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13. Sheamus defeated Shinsuke Nakamura on Raw, while LA Knight defeated a returning Zack Ryder on SmackDown.

So, having them face Cena on Raw shouldn’t be the move since they're a few wins away from getting that opportunity anyways. Someone else deserves the spot.

Enter Breakker.

He has been tabbed as one of the top stars of the future, and turning on Seth Rollins to create the next chapter for ‘The Vision’ was a defining moment.

Breakker is also the type of person who has been very impatient about getting what he wants. We know he wants the World Heavyweight Championship from Punk, and we also know he could eventually be a participant in the tournament.

But the argument can be made that he could make just as big of a statement by showcasing his potential in a first-ever match against Cena at MSG. It doesn’t even have to be for the title, unless there’s a non-finish similar to the one we mentioned in the Cena vs. Punk scenario.

Breakker stepping up to a WWE legend to try to retire him before his official retirement match would be such a Breakker thing to do.

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