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Two New Opening Round Matches Announced For John Cena's 'Last Time Is Now' Tournament

SmackDown GM Nick Aldis announced three more competitors in John Cena's tournament Friday Night on SmackDown, but he's keeping one name a secret.
Rick Ucchino|
John Cena
John Cena | WWE

Half of the field for the 'Last Time is Now' Tournament has now been revealed, well, at least for the most part.

16 men are set to compete in the upcoming single elimination competition, with the winner earning the honor of facing John Cena in his final match at Saturday Night's Main Event next month in the Nation's Capital.

Rusev, Sheamus, Shinsuke Nakamura and Damian Priest were announced as the first competitors this past Monday on Raw, and four more men were chosen to join the mix by SmackDown GM Nick Aldis Friday night.

The first match-up will feature two former World Champions, and one of Cena's oldest rivals, going head-to-head as The Miz takes on Main Event Jey Uso.

LA Knight has also made his way into the tournament, but The Megastar will be at a massive disadvantage heading into his match next Friday. After Nick Aldis drew the name of his opponent from the tumbler, The SmackDown GM decided to keep that Superstars' identity a secret.

Since the tournament was first announced at Saturday Night's Main Event last weekend in Salt Lake City, the expectation has been for there to be a few surprise entrants into the field. Cena himself said that some competitors may not even work for WWE.

Adam Copeland
Adam Copeland | Lee South - All Elite Wrestling

The possibilities aren't endless, but they are intriguing. Obvious contractual issues will keep someone like AEW's Adam Copeland from returning to WWE, but Matt Cardona, Bishop Dyer, Nic Nemeth or other rivals from Cena's past could potentially show up.

We'll all have to wait until next Friday to find out who will be facing off against LA Knight.

'Last Time Is Now' Tournament Opening Round Matches (Announced):

Rusev vs. Damian Priest - Taking place on 11/10 Raw in Boston, Massachusetts

Sheamus vs. Shinsuke Nakamura - Taking place on 11/10 Raw in Boston, Massachusetts

The Miz vs. Jey Uso - Taking place on 11/14 SmackDown in Albany, New York

LA Knight vs. Surprise Opponent - Taking place on 11/14 SmackDown in Albany, New York

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Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

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