Self-professed ‘Indy God’ Matt Cardona is hoping to step in the ring with John Cena as part of the 16-time WWE World Champion’s impending retirement tour.
At WWE Money in the Bank, Cena shared that 2025 will be his final year in the ring, ending a 23-year wrestling career in WWE. In a recent interview with SE Scoops’ own Scott Fishman, Cardona made it clear he hopes to face John before Cena hangs up his jorts.
“I would love to wrestle John Cena one last time. I think with the way WWE is now, it’s something that could happen where I could just walk in, whether it be for one day, or make a return… Zack Ryder vs. John Cena, those matches were fine. They were what they were. John Cena vs. Matt Cardona, that’s that’s where the story is.”
John Cena’s Retirement
Details are scarce regarding the retirement of John Cena but fans are already excited to see what’s to come. Despite his monumental star power, Cena has said he does not feel he’s in a position where he can make specific requests regarding opponents for his retirement tour.
Cena and Cardona (Zack Ryder at the time) became a duo on WWE TV in late 2011 and early 2012 during Cena’s feud with the recently-returned Kane. To get in Cena’s head, Kane repeatedly attacked Ryder and also targeted Zack’s on-screen girlfriend Eve Torres. During an infamous episode of WWE TV, Cena would save Eve from an attack by Kane, only to be kissed by the former Divas Champion. The camera would pivot to reveal Ryder (now in a wheelchair after weeks of attacks) had seen the kiss.
Could Matt Cardona return years later to get revenge on ‘Big Match John’? Given WWE’s willingness to work with others outside the promotion, it certainly seems more possible than ever before.
Bliss hasn’t competed for WWE since January of 2023 when she challenged for the RAW Women’s Championship at that year’s Royal Rumble PLE. In May of 2023, Bliss shared that she was pregnant with a social media post describing her child as the “best oops ever.” She and Ryan Cabrera welcomed their daughter Hendrix into the world in November 2023.
Eight months on from the birth of Hendrix Cabrera and there’s still no sign of when Bliss will return, or what she will do once she’s back. Some have suggested that she will ae a program with the Wyatt Sicks, especially as her Royal Rumble 2023 appearance concluded with Uncle Howdy appearing on a screen and asking if she felt in control.
Bliss could work as either an ally of the Wyatt Sicks or perhaps as an adversary. After all, it was Bliss’ interference that cost Bray Wyatt his WrestleMania 37 match against Randy Orton, in what would be Bray’s final WWE match before his 2021 release. With that said, Bliss downplayed the idea of being linked to the QR codes that teased the Wyatt Sicks and she has not teased being a part of the faction.
WWE’s Wyatt Sicks faction dropped their latest cryptic message on social media Sunday afternoon. The message contains an image of someone holding a sheep mask and the word “hope” along with a string of two and three-digit numbers.
The seemingly-random series of numbers contains a hidden message in ASCII format. By pasting the numbers into an ASCII to text converter tool, it reveals the phrase:
The Wyatt Sicks has maintained an eerie presence since their violent debut last month. While they haven’t competed in any matches yet, they’ve had the entire WWE roster looking over their shoulders. Their next VHS tape is expected to be featured on the July 15th episode of WWE RAW and will focus on Erick Rowan.
This marks a departure from their previous VHS tapes, which have featured interviews between Bo Dallas and Uncle Howdy. Rowan, a disciple of Bray Wyatt, has been wearing a rabbit mask, reminiscent of the Rambling Rabbit character from the Firefly Funhouse.
Finn Balor wanted to make sure Dominik Mysterio flourished as a heel in The Judgment Day, but Dom already had a hold on being “Dirty.”
Speaking on the “What’s The Story?” podcast, Balor mentioned how much Mysterio took to being a heel. Finn recalled Rey Mysterio asking him and Damian Priest to take care of Dom during his heel turn. Balor respected Rey so much that he was going to make sure Dom did his best as a bad guy, but when Balor approached Dom about help on his first heel promo, he was ready to call it in the ring.
“He said, ‘No, no. I’m good.’ I said, ‘You know what you’re going to say?’ He said, ‘No, I’ll figure it out when I’m out there.And here’s me like naively thinking that me, Damian and Rhea are supposed to be helping Dominik, but in reality it’s Dominik helping us get heat and making us more of a believable heel unit.”
Finn said how at the time, he, Damian and Rhea were having an uphill battle at being heels, but Dominik really made them “guilty by association” and his involvement really helped to establish the faction as a “bad guy” act.
Now as it stands, The Judgment Day are really the fulcrum that all of WWE RAW pivots on. Damian Priest is the current WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Finn Balor and JD McDonagh are the World Tag Champs while Dom and Rhea Ripley are involved in the major Liv Morgan storyline in build for SummerSlam.
Please credit “What’s The Story?” and h/t to SEScoops for the transcription.
Rob Van Dam and John Cena had one of the most memorable matches in pro wrestling history and RVD is confident he and Cena could repeat it before John hangs up the jorts.
Speaking on an upcoming episode of his 1 Of A Kind With RVD, Rob Van Dam was asked his thoughts on John Cena announcing his 2025 retirement tour for WWE. Van Dam is still very active in the squared circle and believes the two could recreate the magic they did back at ECW One Night Stand 2006.
“I Hope they bring me in for a rematch with Cena. That would be super cool. I don’t know if they know, but I know I could have that same match, Absolutely.”
Rob Van Dam has shown he hasn’t missed a beat in the several matches he’s had in AEW and even over WrestleMania 40 weekend, competed against Speedball Mike Bailey in a memorable singles match that featured Jerry Lynn as the special guest referee.
Due to injury, RVD was unable to compete at the first WWE version of One Night Stand in 2005, but fate would have it that Van Dam would battle Cena for the WWE Championship a year later. RVD arguably had one of, if not the greatest Money In The Bank cash-in, by calling his shot ahead of time to challenge Cena at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
Van Dam was asked what it was like grappling up with Cena that night and he commended John for his pure strength, but also how he handled the hostile crowd in the Hammerstein Ballroom.
“He was able to pull the strings with the crowdvand he knew going out there that he was going to be up against a crowd that that hated him. A really vocal, physical, most opinionated crowd ever, but he was ready for it, and he handled it great, and I enjoyed working with him. And also he was very, very snug.”
WWE returns to Dayton, Ohio tonight for this week’s WWE RAW at the Nutter Center. We’re just four weeks out from WWE SummerSlam on Saturday, August 3, where the Gunther will challenge Damian Priest for the World Heavyweight championship. What will happen when Priest stares down his SummerSlam opponent tonight?
Ilja Dragunov challenges Sami Zayn for the Intercontinental Championship
Sheamus vs. Bronson Reed
Braun Strowman vs. Damian Priest
Segments
Rhea Ripley opens the show and will surely have words for Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio
Drew McIntyre returns from suspension. Adam Pearce will has said he’ll evaluate McIntyre’s frame of mind to determine whether or not to lift his suspension.
Gunther and Damian Priest go face-to-face
Stay tuned to SEScoops for our coverage of tonight’s WWE Raw and all things WWE.
What Happened on WWE Raw Last Week?
Last week’s July 8, 2024 episode of WWE Raw featured a main event involving Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan and Dominik Mysterio against Zelina Vega and Rey Mysterio. As Liv and Dom were celebrating their win, Rhea Ripley made a surprise return and had a chilly reunion with her Dirty Dom. Also on the show, CM Punk and Seth Rollins engaged in a tense faceoff, Uncle Howdy revealed more of his family and more.
Catch up on last week’s happenings with this video from WWE recapping the Top 10 moments:
Plenty went down at WWE’s live event in Mexico City including the continuation of the ‘romance’ between Women’s World Champion Liv Morgan & Dominik Mysterio.
At the July 13, event, Morgan defended her title against Shayna Baszler. After the match, Morgan introduced Dominik for his match against his father Rey. Contrary to what we’ve seen on TV, Dominik didn’t seem as opposed to Liv’s proximity at this event.
Dirán lo que quieran de Dominik Mysterio, pero es el que más hace enojar al público mexicano ????
The latest battle of the Mysterios ended in a DQ when Carlito interfered to aid Dominik but Dragon Lee arrived to back up Rey. This set up a tag-team match the faces would win.
Dominik and Liv being aligned at this WWE live event comes at an interesting time considering the return of Rhea Ripley on Monday Night Raw. It has been confirmed that Ripley will open up the next episode of Raw and will address the Dominik-Liv situation.
Liv wasn’t the only woman making waves at the event in Mexico City. During the show, WWE Women’s Champion Bayley defended her title against Bianca Belair. After the match, Tiffany Stratton attempted to cash in her Money in the Bank briefcase but Belair put a stop to her plans. Since the bell never rang though, Stratton’s cash-in attempt never officially started and therefore she still holds the briefcase and the coveted title shot.
? ¡SE SALVÓ DEL CANJEO! ?
Tiffany Stratton quiso canjear su Money In The Bank ante Bayley pero Bianca Belair lo impidió, el campeonato no cambia de manos y el maletín no se utilizó oficialmente ??
Stratton attempted to cash in during the most recent episode of SmackDown but had second thoughts after being confronted by her ally Nia Jax. The 2024 Queen of the Ring will challenge Bayley for the title at SummerSlam, if Stratton does not cash in first.
“What a rush” may have been running through Donald Trump’s mind after an assasination attempt was made on the WWE Hall of Famer on July 13.
The forthcoming Republican Presidential nominee was mere inches from death as he was doing a stump speech in Butler, PA. Trump’s ear got grazed by a bullet before secret service swarmed him to make sure he was safe.
However, once matters were settled and the shooter was taken out, Trump made certain to stand himself up and give a fist pump to the people in the crowd. The moment certainly created a lot of memorable photographs for the press and felllow WWE Hall Of Famer JBL made note that Trump must have been taking notes from a certain legendary tag team in Road Warrior Hawk and Road Warrior Animal.
Although JBL was posting in jest, it’s heaviily believed that Trump has adopted a lot of his speaking style and “promo skills” from the world of pro wrestling. There’s the urban legend that during his WWE Hall of Fame induction in 2013, Trump was really impressed with the promo work of Zeb Coulter, better known as Dutch Mantell.
Trump did issue a statement following the assasination attempt, thanking the police and the secret service for their work, but also sending his condolences to the victims of the shooter as one rally attendee was killed and two others were in critical condition.
After great speculation that Natalya could be heading to AEW once her contract expired, it appears as if the ‘BOAT’ will be sticking around WWE.
PWInisder first reported that Natalya re-signed with WWE and Fightful Select later confirmed that news. Her new deal has reportedly been in place since late June but contract negotiations seemed to begin back in May. The new contract is reportedly a multi-year deal.
Natalya had interest from companies outside of WWE and it’s understandably so considering she has been very hands-on with wrestlers from all promotions. A lot of different names have gotten some extra training at her Dungeon 2.0.
An added point of note regarding the Natalya news was that Tyson Kidd had interest from outside companies as an agent too. WWE was reportedly in the right to be concerned about losing Natalya and the company wanted to make certain they locked her down. The deal happened to get done before she hit the free agent market.
Natalya is one of the longest-tenured names on the WWE roster, being over 16 years with the company. Within the last year, she’s been a big part of helping talent in NXT and also has been major in getting rising talent over, recently competing against Lyra Valkyria on an episode of WWE RAW. There was a good deal of speculation that she could be available to head to AEW and compete in the Owen Hart tournament, but that obviously didn’t happen.
Dominik Mysterio is hoping to fix things with Rhea Ripley on the next episode of Raw following the climactic ending to this week’s show.
In the main event, Dominik and Liv Morgan defeated Rey Mysterio & Zelina Vega, marking Dom’s first WWE victory over his father. After the match, it appeared that Dominik was ready to give in to Morgan’s advances until Rhea Ripley returned and confronted her ‘Dom Dom.’
Making Things Right
While Mysterio is well and truly in the ‘doghouse’ the former NXT North American Champion is ready to fight for his (on-screen) relationship with Rhea Ripley. Speaking to ESPN, Mysterio gave his happiness on a scale of 1-10 during the Raw main event.
“I had finally beaten that deadbeat, I was about a ten. I was about a solid 9.5-10. Not even taking Liv into consideration. Just the fact that I had beaten that deadbeat. Once Mami’s music hit and everything happened afterward, I felt like I was at about a two, maybe a one.”
When asked about his current situation with Ripley, Mysterio admitted that it’s been tough to talk to her in recent days, but he’s confident thing will work out.
“I tried my best to communicate with her. She’s kind of avoided me as of now, but she kind of has no choice but to see me on Mondays. So, I’m going to fix things. I’m going to do my best to fix things on Monday.”
What’s to Come?
We don’t know what will be said between the two on next week’s Raw but fans won’t have to wait long. It’s been confirmed that Rhea will open the show and fans will no doubt be intrigued to hear what she has to say in her first promo since vacating the WWE Women’s World Championship.
As for Liv Morgan, she’ll likely continue to try and play Ripley and Dominik against one another. While Liv quickly ran from the ring when Ripley returned, backstage footage suggests that she is happy to see Rhea back (and at odds with Dominik.) With SummerSlam around the corner, some have predicted a Ripley-Morgan title match but that has yet to be confirmed. Until then, fans will remain gripped by what has become one of the most popular love triangles we’ve seen in years.
At the July 13, event, Vaquer defeated current WWE Women’s Tag Team Champion Ilja Dawn. After the match, Vaquer said that it was a dream come true to be part of WWE.
Vaquer certainly proved to be a hit with the crowd in Mexico City and fans won’t have to wait long before they see her again. WWE’s newest signing is also expected to be at tonight’s WWE live event in Monterrey.
Stephanie Vaquer Joining WWE NXT
Vaquer officially joined WWE this past Wednesday after it was announced she had left CMLL. On Twitter, SVP of Talent Development and Head of NXT Shawn Michaels welcomed Vaquer to the family, which some have taken as a sign she’ll start in WWE on the gold brand.
In a post-match interview at the Mexico City live event, Vaquer told the cameras “NXT, see you soon” seemingly confirming the notion that she’ll be joining the gold brand.
WWE and AEW had been interested in Vaquer following her show-stealing performance at last month’s AEW x NJPW: Forbidden Door 2024 pay-per-view. Though she lost to Mercedes Mone at the event, Vaquer was praised for how she won the crowd over, despite them being more familiar with Mone and her work in and out of WWE.
While Vaquer only signed with WWE in recent days, this isn’t her first time being associated with the company. In 2018, Vaquer had a tryout for the promotion but was not signed.
Both AJ Styles and IYO SKY were successful in this week’s matches that took place outside of WWE as the company continues to work with other promotions.
For Styles, he defeated Naomichi Marufuji at Pro Wrestling NOAH’s Destination 2024 event. This match marked Styles’ first non-WWE match in eight-and-a-half years and his first time ever competing for NOAH. Styles had quite the entrance that saw him don a black mask; a staple of his time competing in Japan.
— ?????????? ?PRO WRESTLING NOAH (@noah_ghc) July 13, 2024
Despite a valiant effort by Marufuji, a three-time GHC World Champion, it was Styles who got the win with his Styles Clash. After the match, Styles and Marufuji shared a sign of respect in the ring by bowing to each other.
Styles wasn’t the only top WWE name in action outside of the company today. IYO SKY competed in her first non-WWE match since 2017 at the Marigold ‘Summer Destiny’ event. At the show, SKY defeated Utami Hayashishita.
It remains to be seen what companies WWE will work with next, though many feel it is likely under the post-McMahon administration. In the meantime, WWE NXT will continue to welcome TNA talent and don’t be surprised if we see Superstars appearing outside the Sports Entertainment juggernaut.
The post-Money in the Bank WWE SmackDown show fallout was certainly busy, with several big moments occurring on the programme.
WWE has now uploaded all of the video highlights for the show to their official YouTube channel, which we have compiled in an easy to view format on one page below.
WWE SmackDown Full Highlights This Week
If you didn’t get the chance to watch the show in full, you can see a Full Recap of WWE SmackDown this week via the video below:
WWE SmackDown Segments This Week
Here are all of the individual Video Highlights that WWE has released this week after SmackDown:
As “Ms. Money in the Bank” Tiffany Stratton celebrates her victory, WWE Women’s Champion Bayley questions the alliance between Nia Jax and Stratton.
After WWE Women’s Champion Bayley tries to stop Nia Jax and Tiffany Stratton’s assault on Michin, she gets beaten down herself, leading to The Center of the Universe almost cashing in.
Following their victory at WWE Money in the Bank, Solo Sikoa vows to stay on top and demands acknowledgement.
Queen Nia Jax smites Michin in a royal conquest.
LA Knight is officially granted a contract to face Logan Paul at SummerSlam but needs The Maverick’s signature.
Baron Corbin and Apollo Crews combine to take on Angel and Berto of Legado del Fantasma.
Naomi takes on the up-and-coming Blair Davenport in a fierce contest.
Even after losing to The Bloodline at Money in the Bank, Randy Orton informs Cody Rhodes that he still has his back.
#DIY defend their WWE Tag Team Title against A-Town Down Under.
Despite coming up on the losing end to Nia Jax, Michin states she is not done with the Queen of the Ring Winner, offering her services to Bayley.
The Bloodline dismantle Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton, making The American Nightmare watch as they eradicate The Viper.
The Motor City Machine Guns, consisting of Alex Shelley and Chris Sabin, became free agents on April 1 after departing from TNA Wrestling.
This immediately sparked rumors of their potential signing with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), but as time has passed without confirmation, attention has turned to another genuine possibility: WWE.
Alex Shelley WWE Interest and Negotiations
Recent reports from the likes of PWN on Discord suggest that Shelley and Sabin have been in discussions with WWE.
Although specific details remain scarce, the interest from WWE appears genuine. WWE superstar Tommaso Ciampa further fuelled these rumors by posting a photo of the duo on his Instagram stories.
Additionally, Alex Shelley himself has hinted at a potential WWE signing through a cryptic Instagram post, which began “This past week, I celebrated the 4th of July by (maybe) having my final match at @beyondwrestling for awhile.”
Social Media Hints and Speculation
Fans were taken aback by Shelley’s Instagram post, which perhaps indicated that he was wrestling his final matches on the independent circuit, at least “for a while.”
This sort of move is, generally, seen as a precursor to signing with WWE, given that AEW would be more inclined to allow talent to work independent dates whilst signed to All Elite.
What Signing the Motor City Machine Guns Means for WWE
Should WWE secure the signatures of the Motor City Machine Guns, it would be a significant acquisition for the tag team divisions on RAW, SmackDown or NXT.
The duo is highly regarded in the wrestling world, known for their fantastic tenure in TNA where they won multiple World Tag Team Championships.
Despite both members being over 40, they continue to perform at a high level. WWE has successfully managed to bring in TNA veteran stars like AJ Styles, suggesting that Shelley and Sabin could also thrive in WWE’s environment.
The excitement didn’t stop at this week’s SmackDown from Worcester’s DCU Center after the latest episode of the blue brand went off the air.
The July 12, edition of WWE SmackDown saw the road to SummerSlam stretch on with matches set for the Biggest Party of the Summer. Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and Solo Sikoa agreed to a showdown this August in Cleveland. LA Knight also has a contract for a U.S. title match with Logan Paul for SummerSlam but needs Paul to sign the paperwork to make it official.
After WWE SmackDown
The closing moments of this week’s SmackDown saw Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton be laid out by Solo Sikoa and the Bloodline. Rhodes was forced to watch on as Tama Tonga, Tonga Loa, and Jacob Fatu delivered a triple powerbomb to Orton through the announce table. After the show, Rhodes, alongside WWE officials (including Jamie Noble and Hurricane Helms) helped Orton to the back.
Fans who stuck around in the DCU Center after SmackDown got to see much more than Orton be helped to the back. In a dark match, Braun Strowman made quick work of honorary Judgment Day member Carlito.
The fans were also treated to a rematch from WWE Backlash: France as World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest took on Jey Uso. Despite a valiant effort by Main Event Jey, it was Priest who once again left with the gold.
— Damian Priest Fansite Media (@DPFansite_Media) July 13, 2024
Priest will now have to turn his attention to SummerSlam where he will defend against WWE King of the Ring GUNTHER. The 37th annual SummerSlam will take place on August 3, from the Cleveland Brown Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
The macabre Wyatt Sicks may not be to the taste of GUNTHER, but the 2024 King of the Ring believes the group is in safe hands given that Triple H is in control.
The group made its long-awaited debut on the June 17, edition of WWE Monday Night Raw by decimating several people at the show, including Chad Gable. During their debut segment, some fans believed that GUNTHER had been attacked backstage by the faction, though that has not been confirmed on TV. Both before and since their debut, the group has been featured in cryptic promos and segments, leaving fans to decipher clues about what’s to come.
Speaking to Gorilla Position, GUNTHER admitted that the Wyatt Sicks is not to his taste, and that goes for much more than just pro wrestling.
“It’s not just wrestling, it’s also movies, like the genre, everything that has to do with spooky stuff or ghosts, or supernatural, that’s not my taste at all. I’m more documentary guy, I love history, and I like movies about a topic or happenings that really happened. So it’s hard to judge when it’s not your taste, but by the reactions of our audience, obviously, there’s a big interest in it.”
While the group is not GUNTHER’s proverbial cup of tea, the King of the Ring is confident that the group will do well with Triple H running creative.
“The big challenge is always getting that in the ring and keep the mysterious aura around it but also making it work. But I haven’t paid too much attention to it right now, how it’s handled, but I would think if there’s somebody that can make it work and have the right dose of the spooky stuff and then the guys still being real [people], I think Hunter will have a good handle on that.”
What’s Next?
Since arriving, the Wyatt Sicks has targeted Chad Gable which many believe is because of how Gable has treated his Alpha Academy allies. In promos, the faction have spoken about false leaders not treating the family right, which many believe is a nod to Gable.
As for GUNTHER, his future is more clear. Due to his King of the Ring win, GUNTHER has earned himself a World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam. The Ring General will challenge Damian Priest at the August 3, event in Cleveland, Ohio.
Both The Rock and Logan Paul have their respective ties to politics, particularly in 2024, and a hypothetical was pitched for the two stars to be on the presidential ticket.
On “The Good Guys” podcast, co-hosts Josh Peck and Ben Soffer pitched the notion of ‘The People’s Champion’ becoming ‘The People’s President.’ Not only that, but what if ‘The Final Boss’ appointed WWE United States Champion Logan Paul as his running mate?
“Do you think if The Rock ran with Logan Paul as his running mate, they would win?
“I think that if The Rock ran with Helen Keller as his running mate, he would win.
“If The Rock ran with anybody, he would win. I think Logan would hurt his chances.
“That’s how much of a shoe in The Rock is by himself. Nobody’s ever asked The Rock for his political affiliations. He is separate of party.
“He is just the quintessential perfect human. He’s perfect.”
Someone who doesn’t think The Rock is perfect is Cody Rhodes as the two stars had quite the confrontation during WrestleMania 40. However, whenever it comes to politics The Rock has decided not to take a side this election year. Back in 2020, The Rock ended up endorsing Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, but in an interview earlier this year, expressed his disappointment in doing so. A lot of people have been clamoring for the Final Boss to run for the highest office in the land — and he hasn’t ruled it out.
The connections between wrestling and politics are endless. Logan Paul just had 45th US President and WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump on his Impaulsive podcast. Meanwhile, former WWE President Linda McMahon was recently named a top donor to Trump.
WWE is not wasting any time incorporating Stephanie Vaquer into their universe.
All this week, Vaquer left CMLL and was swiftly welcomed by Shawn Michaels into the WWE fold on social media. Now to close out the work week, Vaquer will be put to work in the ring. The company announced that their newest signee will represent the brand south of the border on Saturday and Sunday.
“See Stephanie Vaquer LIVE at #WWEMonterrey and #WWEMexicoCity this weekend!”
Vaquer is getting thrown right into the WWE deep end as also advertised for those live events is Rey Mysterio, Damian Priest, Jey Uso, Drew McIntyre and Cody Rhodes.
It’s not very often that WWE completely puts their chips behind a new signee right off the bat, but names like Vaquer and Jade Cargill have been their few exceptions and for good reasons.
Both Cargill and Vacquer have their AEW ties, but in different fashions. Cargill was an established talent on their television while Vacquer is fresh off a very memorable match against Mercedes Mone at AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door.
Speaking in a recent interview Vaquer mentioned how her previous experience with WWE in 2018 mentioned how it helped her out “a lot and it was an experience that I will take with me forever.”
John Cena made a surprise appearance at last month’s Money in the Bank 2024 to announce his retirement. Cena is not an ordinary character and his retirement plan is fittingly unusual.
The 16-time World Champion is going out in a big way and has announced the John Cena WWE retirement tour spanning January-December 2025. He’s planning to make around 40 appearances next year and is still driven to a World Champion. Legends such as Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle have done big retirement angles, but Cena simply wants to wrestle in front of his fans all around the world before he calls it a career.
With those loose parameters, here are 5 things we want to see out of John Cena’s final year with WWE.
1. John Cena Should Put Over Cody Rhodes
Cody Rhodes is a bona fide superstar, and by most metrics the biggest babyface WWE has built since John Cena. Moreover, while the two had some forgettable matches against each other during The American Nightmare’s first WWE run, the matchup still feels fresh, given fans are now looking at a totally different version of Rhodes as a credible main event act.
Rhodes vs. Cena feels like a dream match, and given that one of each man’s greatest strengths is their promo skills, there’s every opportunity to make this feel like a match for the ages. Most importantly, though, Rhodes has, since returning to WWE, beaten Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, Seth Rollins, and AJ Styles. There’s every indicator that The Rock may well put him over, and an encounter with Randy Orton is heavily rumored. Cena is one of a small handful of truly meaningful stars whom Rhodes can still beat for the first time, and in so doing close the door on the past generation of WWE stars.
2. John Cena Should Avoid Long Feuds
Long-term storytelling has its merits as WWE has demonstrated with Cody Rhodes vs. The Bloodline, CM Punk vs. Drew McIntyre, and Rhea Ripley vs. Liv Morgan to name a few. However, there when time is a limited resource, there can also be a sense that a wrestler is squandering his time when he faces the same opponent over and over again.
As a key example, it was great to see Edge back in a WWE ring from 2020 to 2023. As good as Seth Rollins and Finn Balor each were, though, it was still hard not to feel like the company burned daylight by having The Rated R Superstar feud for so long with these particular rivals when there was a slate of fresher programs he never got to.
Hopefully, John Cena will have some rich storylines to sink his teeth into. Just the same, when he only has one year left, it would be a shame to see him linger too long on just one opponent.
3. John Cena Should Win The World Heavyweight Championship
One of the biggest question marks surrounding John Cena’s last year is whether he’ll break his tie with Ric Flair and win a record seventeenth world championship. There’s a case to be made in either direction.
On one hand, Cena certainly doesn’t need another world title for credibility, other talents would benefit more, and there’s a certain lame-duck quality to a champ fans know plans to retire inside a year.
On the other hand, it’s rare that there’s an opportunity to make history on this level, and Cena is one of the strikingly few legitimate franchise players WWE’s had who would make sense to accomplish this specific feat. While it wouldn’t be wise to mess with a WWE Championship picture that involves Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and The Rock, there is more leeway to squeeze in one last, brief title reign for Cena with the World Heavyweight Championship.
4. John Cena Should Put Over Uncle Howdy
WWE
WWE’s handling of Bray Wyatt was all over the place, but one of this greatest accomplishments was beating John Cena at WrestleMania. Cena won their first feud—including their first ‘Mania match in 2014. Wyatt beat Cena in a polarizing and unforgettable Firefly Fun House match at WrestleMania 36, though, that, in many ways, was the perfect testament to Wyatt’s legacy in WWE.
One of the best ways to pay homage to the late Wyatt and give his brother, Uncle Howdy, a concrete push, would be for Cena to do the honors for this family once more. There’s a variety of ways to do this, but one relatively low stakes proposition that would befit the legacy they’re following in would be to stage one more Firefly Fun House match—or work a comparable gimmick—before Cena moves on.
5. John Cena Should Avoid Wasting Too Much Time On Nostalgia Feuds
From the post-Money in the Bank press conference alone, questions arose about John Cena wrestling The Rock one more time or feuding with CM Punk one more time. There is a certain appeal to revisiting these iconic matchups that fans never thought they’d have the chance to see again–particularly for a setting like WrestleMania 41. On the other hand, there’s also a point at which it’s better to move on to new things.
While one-off matches with Punk, Rock, Randy Orton, Seth Rollins, AJ Styles, The Miz, or Roman Reigns could be enjoyable nods to their histories together, these are also all matches fans have seen at least twice in high-profile, fully realized situations. With a fresher slate of prospective opponents like Cody Rhodes, Gunther, Drew McIntyre, Bron Breakker, LA Knight, Logan Paul, and quite few others awaiting him, it would be better for Cena to focus his retirement tour on matchups that haven’t already been over-exposed.
WWE has announced 15 new WWE Raw and WWE SmackDown live events spanning October-December 2024. Tickets for these these just-announced TV tapings go on sale Friday, July 26 at 10 am local time at Ticketmaster.
The schedule features a mix of major markets, such as New York City, Boston and Philadelphia, along with less-populated secondary markets, shows WWE’s commitment to reach fans across a all regions.
October 2024
Friday, October 4: Nashville, TN – Friday Night SmackDown at the Bridgestone Arena
Friday, October 11: Greenville, SC – Friday Night SmackDown at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Friday, October 18: Columbia, SC – Friday Night SmackDown at the Colonial Life Arena
Monday, October 21: Philadelphia, PA – Monday Night RAW at the Wells Fargo Center
Friday, October 25: Brooklyn, NY – Friday Night SmackDown at the Barclays Center
November 2024
Friday, November 8: Buffalo, NY – Friday Night SmackDown at the KeyBank Center
Monday, November 11: Grand Rapids, MI – Monday Night RAW at the Van Andel Arena
Friday, November 15: Milwaukee, WI – Friday Night SmackDown at the Fiserv Forum
Friday, November 22: Salt Lake City, UT – Friday Night SmackDown at the Delta Center
Monday, November 25: Glendale, AZ – Monday Night RAW at the Desert Diamond Arena
December 2024
Monday, December 2: Everett, WA – Monday Night RAW at the Angel of the Winds Arena
Friday, December 6: Minneapolis, MN – Friday Night SmackDown at the Target Center
Monday, December 9: Wichita, KS – Monday Night RAW at the INTRUST Bank Arena
Friday, December 13: Hartford, CT – Friday Night SmackDown at the XL Center
Monday, December 16: Boston, MA – Monday Night RAW at the TD Garden
Mark Henry worked closely with former WWE boss Vince McMahon throughout his Hall of Fame career spanning Ning 1996-2021
McMahon resigned from WWE following accusations from former employee Janel Grant of abuse and trafficking her to other male employees. Henry weighed in on his former boss’s departure, telling veteran wrestling journalist Bill Apter that people in this industry come and go in various ways:
“I believe that there’s seasons for everything and eventually we’re all gonna be away from the business one way or the other. I mean, either by passing away or just the fact you retire or you get fired or you amicably separate or whatever it is, there’s always gonna be an exodus, and I think it was time for there to be that exodus.”
Henry spent a long time in WWE under McMahon’s leadership. He retired following WrestleMania 33 and transitioned into a backstage producer role. Henry then debuted for AEW in May 2021, serving as a coach and a commentator for AEW Rampage. He left AEW in May 2024, stating he couldn’t dedicate 100% of himself to the company. McMahon was supportive of Henry’s decision to leave for AEW, stating, “You know everything you need to know. You go and if you feel like you need to go, (I) don’t necessarily want it, but if you feel like you need to go, then go. I know you’re going to be successful,” as Henry recalled.
McMahon stepped down from his roles in June 2022 after hush money agreements for affairs with former WWE employees came to light. He returned the following year as executive chairman of the newly formed TKO Group Holdings, following the merger of WWE with UFC by Endeavor Group Holdings. But McMahon parted ways with WWE again in January 2024 due to Janel Grant’s lawsuit alleging abuse and trafficking.
McMahon is also facing a federal investigation apart from the Grant lawsuit.
Another star voiced their opinion on Vince McMahon: Ronda Rousey. Speaking to CBS Sports, Rousey said, “Anyone’s better than Vince McMahon” when it comes to running the wrestling promotion.
The road to WWE SummerSlam 2024 will continue with tonight’s episode of SmackDown which will take place from the DCU Center in Worcester, MA. The show will also deal with the fall-out of last week’s Money in the Bank PLE in Toronto Canada.
Tonight’s advertised SmackDown card features these matches:
Michin vs. Nia Jax
Baron Corbin & Apollo Crews vs. Angel Garza & Humberto Carillo
An appearance from Miss Money in the Bank Tiffany Stratton has also been confirmed for the show. Stratton captured the covered briefcase at last week’s event and now has a golden opportunity in her hands.
WWE is also advertising that “Solo Sikoa’s Rise to Power Continues” on tonight’s edition of SmackDown. At Money in the Bank, Sikoa, Jacob Fatu, and Tama Tonga, defeated Cody Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Kevin Owens.
What Happened Last Week?
Last week’s WWE SmackDown (July 5, 2024) saw the WWE Tag Team Titles change hands as DIY captured the gold from A-Town Down Under. Meanwhile, Solo Sikoa made clear that he has his sights set on the Undisputed WWE Championship in a warning to Cody Rhodes. Sikoa went even further, as he dared Roman Reigns to try and take his place as the new Tribal Chief.
This is just scratching the surface of what went down. Check out this video from WWE looking at the Top 10 Moments from the show:
AJ Styles is grateful for the opportunity to compete in Pro Wrestling NOAH this week, an opportunity he believes would not have been possible just a few years ago.
At NOAH’s Destination 2024 event, Styles will compete against three-time GHC World Champion Naomichi Marufuji. Despite a lofty career in Japan, the match will mark Styles’ NOAH debut and his first match outside WWE since January 2016.
Speaking to the press ahead of NOAH Destination 2024, Styles said that his match demonstrates how WWE’s new era is willing to work with others.
“This is showing the Triple H era of what WWE is all about. Because I’m not the only one that is wrestling in Japan tomorrow night. IYO Sky is also wrestling along with myself. And that just goes to show what Triple His trying to bring throughout the world and WWE. Whether it be in NOAH or somewhere else, having the opportunity to wrestle there, it’s big for everybody. And it just shows how we were willing and able to work together so that we all can make pro wrestling as big as we possibly can.”
Aj Styles speaks on his Noah match and HHH's vision:
This is showing the Triple H era of what wwe is all about. Cause I'm not the only one that is wrestling in Japan tomorrow night. IYO Sky is also wrestling. Along with myself and that just goes to show what HHH is trying to… pic.twitter.com/kdi6bD1KJ0
As Styles alluded to in his speech, IYO SKY will be competing this weekend for Rossy Ogawa’s Marigold Wrestling promotion. The former WWE Women’s Champion will face Utami Hayashishita at the promotion’s Summer Dreams event. When asked about the match, SKY was similarly glad that she is now able to wrestle with talent outside WWE.
“When I signed with WWE, I didn’t think I would wrestle in a ring outside of WWE, so I am surprised to wrestle in a Japanese women’s promotion’s ring. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart to Utami Hayashishita, Rossy Ogawa, and my boss Triple H.”
Opening The Prohibited Portal
WWE’s leadership under Triple H has certainly been more open to working with other companies than Vince McMahon. In January, Jordynne Grace competed in the Women’s Royal Rumble match. The reigning TNA Knockouts World Champion has also competed in WWE NXT as of late and challenged Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez at Battleground.
Frankie Kazarian and Joe Hendry competed in an NXT battle royal not too long ago and Hendry made his return to the gold brand this week. The July 9, episode also saw TNA’s The Rascalz reunite with Wes Lee and set up a six-man tag for next week against Gallus.
Over in TNA, fans have seen the No Quarter Catch Crew bring the fight as Charlie Dempsey defeated Zachary Wentz this week. At TNA Against All Odds, Jordynne Grace retained her Knockouts Title against Taum Paxley and more recently retained against Izzi Dame.
Josh Barnett’s Bloodsport has also been getting in on this crossover fun as Dempsey and Shayna Baszler competed at Bloodsport X in April. Baszler, who won her fight with TNA’s Masha Slamovich, will return to Bloodsport later this month where she’ll face Miyu Yamashita.
John Cena looks like he had the time of his life at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s wedding celebration this past week in Mumbai, India. The 16-time World Champion was one of 1,200 guests in attendance for what’s being called India’s wedding of the year.
WWE’s G.O.A.T. flashed some of his signature poses for the media upon his arrival, including the the ‘You Can’t See Me’ hand gesture. Cena was also seen at the event being assisted by guests on how to wear a safa; a traditional turban worn by men at weddings in Northern India.
John Cena described his experience at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s wedding as “a surreal 24 hours” in his social media post. He expressed gratitude towards the Ambani family for their “unmatched warmth and hospitality.”
Cena mentioned meeting Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan as one of the memorable experiences from the wedding. As someone who has inspired millions of people around the world for decades, it’s pretty cool to see Cena being so proud to personally tell Shah Rukh Khan about “the positive effect he has had on my life.”
A surreal 24 hours. So grateful for the Ambani family for their unmatched warmth and hospitality.
An experience filled with so many unforgettable moments which allowed me to connect with countless new friends, including meeting @iamsrk and being able to tell him personally the… pic.twitter.com/MNRb29cFuV
The happy couple getting married are Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant. Ambani is the son of Mukesh Ambani, the richest man in Asia. He is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries. Merchant is the daughter of Viren Merchant, the CEO of a healthcare company. The wedding festivities have been split between Antilia, the home of the Ambanis, and the Jio World Convention Centre. Given the size and scale of the event, it’s hardly a surprise that this had been dubbed India’s wedding of the year.
The Guest List
The couple’s guest list is a who’s who of notable figures around the world. In addition to John Cena, the ceremony includes Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Boris Johnson, and Tony Blair. Earlier this year, Rhianna was one of the A-Listers at a pre-wedding celebration held in March. At the event, Rhianna performed a full-length concert, her first in either years.
In May, the couple hosted their second celebration, a four-day cruise through the Mediterranean. Once again, the couple had a massive guest list. This included surprise performances from the Backstreet Boys, Katy Perry, and Pitbull.
John Cena’s WWE Plans
Cena appeared at WWE Money in the Bank earlier this month in Toronto, Canada, and shared that 2025 will mark his final year in wrestling. Cena has competed in at least one WWE match each year since making his debut on TV in June 2002. At this time, details are scarce about Cena’s impending retirement, though fans are hopeful WWE will give the 16-time World Champion a fitting sendoff.
WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has explained why he believes Adam Copeland (formerly Edge in WWE) didn’t need to execute the high-risk dive off the cage at the AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view in May.
‘The Rated R Superstar’ performed a scary dive off the top of the cage on Malakai Black through a table. The dangerous move cost the veteran as he landed awkwardly on his legs, fracturing his tibia. However, he managed to finish the match and retained his AEW TNT title.
Speaking on The Outbound Life podcast, ‘The Hulkster’ raised questions on Copeland deciding the spot. Hogan believes it wasn’t required given Copeland’s legendary status. Copeland is in the latter stages of his career and Hogan wondered why he decided to take such a risk. Hulk Hogan then highlighted that wrestlers perform such high-risk moves to win over the fans and gain popularity. However, Copeland already has an established fanbase he didn’t require to perform the move. Here is what Hogan said:
“I watched Edge [Copeland] jump off the cage the other night. I haven’t talked to him yet, but trained professional. Twilight of his career. Jumps off the top. Please explain that to me. He’s over. Most guys who do that, go up and do it because they are not over enough. Edge was over. To do that, I just don’t get it. I haven’t called him yet. I was going to call him last night, but I fell asleep. I just want to know, ‘Please explain that to me. You’re over like a son of a gun. You didn’t need to do that. You didn’t need to go up there.’
He added:
“If you’re going to go up there, it doesn’t mean anything, unless you do something better than Mick Foley did. Mick Foley got thrown off the top of the cage and hit the table. If you’re going to beat Mick Foley, you have to get thrown off the top of the cage with no table. I just didn’t get it. It didn’t mean anything because Edge was so over. So over. He didn’t need that.”
Taking to social media, Copeland confirmed that he sustained a fractured tibia. He successfully underwent surgery. He dropped an update on his Instagram where he could be seen on crutches. Copeland was stripped off of his TNT title due to the injury and he is currently recuperating. It will take several months before he gets back inside the squared circle.
