John Cena’s Dad Told WWE Who Should Have Been His Son’s Final Opponents — The List Will Make You Rethink The Retirement Rub

John Cena’s upcoming sendoff has turned into wrestling’s most argued-about topic this year. Recent chatter on the All Axxess Podcast saw John Cena Sr. lay down a short, sharp list of names he thinks would have been more fitting as his son’s final foe. 

He specifically called out Kurt Angle, Adam “Edge” Copeland, Chris Jericho, and JBL as the kind of opponents who would give Cena’s curtain call the weight and history it deserves. That opinion slammed straight into WWE’s current plan and sparked fresh debate across social feeds and wrestling sites. 

Why Cena Sr. Rejected The Gunther Plan

Cena Sr.’s comments started as a rejection. He made it clear on All Axxess that he does not believe Gunther should be handed the moment that closes Cena’s in-ring chapter. 

The reasoning is predictable from an old-school perspective: a final match should cap a legacy, not simply act as a vehicle to elevate someone else at the expense of emotional closure. That old chestnut of “passing the torch” may be noble in theory, but to John Cena’s dad, it felt like the wrong tone for this particular exit. 

Those remarks fed straight into a larger backstage conversation where even some folks inside WWE reportedly had reservations about the Gunther idea. Wrestling fans understandably split into factions. One side values modern booking logic: use a departing legend to propel the next era. 

The other side argues a megastar’s final match should feel like a tribute, a last meaningful story beat, not a calculated promotional boost. Cena Sr.’s list reads like a highlight reel of names who bring legacy, star power and credible storytelling to a one-off farewell match. 

The Case For Each Name Cena Sr. Picked

Kurt Angle is the pure emotional pitch. He is a WWE Hall of Famer, an Olympic gold medalist and someone whose episodic rivalry history with Cena would make a final match read like a proper full stop. 

Angle retired from active wrestling years ago and now appears at select shows and charity events, so a final “dream” Cena vs Angle would be a nostalgia-laced, feel-good sendoff that plays to longtime fans. The match would lean heavily on storytelling and history rather than athletic escalation. That choice is about reverence. 

Adam “Edge” Copeland fits the “modern legend” slot. Edge has spent the last several seasons splitting time between acting and sporadic in-ring returns, and recent reports place him in major independent and AEW adjacent events while continuing to work select wrestling dates. 

Edge brings theatrical heat and a proven ability to turn a pop into a moment that can headline a farewell show without needing a title change or long buildup. A Cena vs Edge farewell could bridge two eras, the Ruthless Aggression generation and the present, while giving Cena an opponent who still feels like a main event star. 

Chris Jericho represents unpredictability and cross-brand credibility. Jericho’s tenure at AEW and his global star status mean his involvement in any farewell would read as a marquee draw with mainstream crossover appeal. 

He still wrestles frequently and, depending on contract timing, could be an available opponent who brings old-school promos and a theatrical sendoff. Recent reporting suggests Jericho’s AEW contract situation is one that watchers are tracking closely, which makes the prospect of an inter-promotional or last-run match a spicy “what if.” 

JBL is the throwback pick with a neat symmetry. JBL was once a major Cena rival in the title picture and has the mic skills and grit to craft a farewell that leans on history and personal heat. 

He’s long retired from full-time competition but makes media and Hall of Fame-adjacent appearances; a one-night re-entry would carry a lot of weight, especially given JBL’s place in Cena’s earlier era. Cena Sr.’s inclusion of JBL signals he values the emotional resonance of past feuds above purely forward-looking booking. 

What This Means For WWE’s Farewell Narrative

There are two clear booking philosophies here. One philosophy treats a legend’s final match as a strategic relay baton handed to the next era. The other treats it as the closing chapter of a life’s work. Cena Sr.’s picks and his blunt dismissal of the Gunther plan tilt hard toward the latter. In practical terms, this means a WWE farewell structured around sentiment, callbacks, and stars with shared history rather than a heatless attempt to “elevate” a current champion. 

A final Cena bout against a name like Angle or Edge would likely focus on callbacks, signature sequences, and a finish that feels meaningful instead of transactional. Expect WWE to balance narrative goals against business logic. The company still needs to sell tickets, promote new stars and service existing title storylines. 

That is why the Gunther idea exists: it makes sense as a business move to boost the credibility of a rising champion. Cena Sr. is offering the counterpoint: legacy matters too. For fans who want an emotionally satisfying end, his picks are smart because they guarantee resonance on both the live show and in clips that will live forever online. 

Final Thoughts 

Cena Sr.’s list is short and strategic. It is built on three basic criteria: legacy, history with his son, and the ability to deliver a moment that feels like a proper goodbye. Whether WWE follows his advice is another story. If the company chooses to make the final match an elevation moment, it will get heat from the nostalgia crowd but might win long-term by launching a new top star. 

If WWE opts for Cena Sr.’s approach, it can deliver a sendoff that earns tears and reverence at the cost of one “future star” bump. Either way, this debate matters because it reveals how wrestling companies and fans value endings. The last match for someone like John Cena cannot be only a line item on a business ledger. 

It needs to be a memory. Cena Sr. simply reminded everyone of that. The names he offered are not random. They are calculated selections designed to give John Cena a final opponent who can make the moment feel right, not just profitable.