John Cena is in the twilight of his career. The Franchise Player is one of the most decorated professional wrestlers of all time, having won the WWE Championship a staggering 14 times. Fans are going to feel his absence once he leaves the Stamford-based company.
World Wrestling Entertainment is organizing the Last Time Is Now Tournament to determine the Cenation Leader’s final opponent. This competition is set to kick off on Raw next week and will feature 16 competitors. The ultimate prize is the opportunity to face Cena in his last match.
Interestingly, rumors suggest that the company plans to book Gunther as the legend’s final opponent. The former World Heavyweight Champion is certainly a worthy name to be John Cena’s last adversary. However, AEW might have some better options.
Here are three AEW stars who could be better opponents than Gunther for John Cena’s final match:
### #3. MJF
Maxwell Jacob Friedman (MJF) is a rare talent. Not only is he an exceptional in-ring competitor, but he also possesses extraordinary skills on the microphone. The 29-year-old is a former AEW World Champion and a former International Champion. Even though he is currently on a hiatus, AEW President Tony Khan certainly has massive plans for him.
The Salt of the Earth would have been the perfect final opponent for Cena. The AEW star is like a younger version of The Franchise Player, and their match would have felt like a true ‘passing of the torch’ moment. MJF might, in fact, achieve even greater success than Cena in the next twenty years of his in-ring career.
Moreover, MJF and Cena share a good relationship in real life. The former considers Cena one of his childhood heroes. In a recent interview with Adrian Hernandez, MJF heaped praise on the fourteen-time WWE Champion and called him his first love.
> “This dude was a FatHead on my wall growing up. Cena was my first love, and then it was Punk. It’s really cool getting to talk to him,” said MJF.
> [H/T: Fightful]
### #2. Kenny Omega
Kenny Omega vs John Cena would have been a brilliant match under any circumstances. Both wrestlers are legends with years of experience. Had The Cleaner joined WWE several years ago, he would have definitely rivaled The Cenation leader.
Omega might even be a better final opponent for Cena than Gunther. Interestingly, he has a deep respect for the wrestler-turned-actor. During a recent Twitch stream, he called the 48-year-old “incredible.”
> “I’m a very big proponent of John Cena, I think he’s incredible,” he said.
> [H/T: Fightful]
### #1. John Cena’s old rival, Edge (Adam Copeland)
John Cena and Adam Copeland (formerly known as Edge) had an extraordinary rivalry during the Ruthless Aggression era. The two wrestlers have immense respect for each other.
Thousands of fans hoped that The Rated R Superstar would be Cena’s final opponent due to nostalgic reasons. While Cena vs. Gunther will likely deliver a great match, Cena vs. Edge one last time would be truly special.
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As John Cena prepares to close this iconic chapter of his career, the choice of his final opponent is critical. Whether it ends with Gunther or one of these AEW stars, the moment will undoubtedly be memorable for wrestling fans worldwide.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/aew/3-aew-stars-better-gunther-opponent-john-cena-s-final-match