5 Best Feuds for John Cena at WWE WrestleMania 41

The year 2025 will be the final one of John Cena's career, which makes WrestleMania 41 the last time he will compete at The Show of Shows.

WWE must make the most of The GOAT's time, especially at the biggest events. His last 'Mania match must be special and deliver a moment that will last beyond his retirement.

Should Cena face a familiar opponent one last time like CM Punk or Roman Reigns? Could he face someone who has reached new heights in his absence such as Cody Rhodes?

Would a fresh opponent like Logan Paul or Bron Breakker best define the veteran's career?

The options are endless, but the following are the five best feuds Cena can deliver on the Road to WrestleMania 41.

LA Knight

Cena worked hard to elevate Knight in 2023 as his popularity was reaching its peak.

That is still an intriguing matchup, but The Megastar needs a change before he is ready for that clash. Right now, they feel far apart.

Randy Orton

WWE has talked up the legend of Cena vs. Orton far more than the two men ever elevated one another in the ring.

It would still be a big match, but it would be a novelty encounter that fans have already seen countless times. Best to save it for later in 2025.

Jey Uso

This won't happen at 'Mania since Jey Uso's match with Gunther is already set, but WWE is likely to put him and Cena back together before the end of his retirement run.

The GOAT put Main Event over in the men's Royal Rumble match and will look to further solidify WWE's biggest rising star either in one-on-one action or by teaming together.

Gunther

This would have been a perfect match for Cena at WrestleMania, but the stage is already set for The Ring General to defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Uso.

This should be a priority match before The GOAT retires, though, as The Ring General will bring the best out of Cena.

John Cena has always sought chances to elevate the business. Even in limited appearances in the past five years, he has made a point of helping Roman Reigns.

His match with The Tribal Chief at SummerSlam in 2021 came as a true passing of the torch, overwhelmed by the man who had taken his spot atop the wrestling industry.

Revisiting that contest at WrestleMania 41 would make sense but likely not be the best use of either man's time.

Reigns has already main-evented 'Mania more than anyone else in WWE history, and his issues with The GOAT have been settled with a definitive win for The Tribal Chief.

It would likely only muddy the water if Cena were to revisit that story in his final 'Mania match when others could use the spotlight more.

There are few clearer money matches for WWE on a worldwide scale than pairing Logan Paul and John Cena.

The Maverick is one of WWE's most hated heels, helped by the way he blends his social media persona and his real-life actions.

Cena putting over Paul could elevate him to the next level, and WWE has already planted the seeds. The two men clashed during the Royal Rumble and will collide again in the men's Elimination Chamber match.

However, fans are not likely to react well to this contest due to Paul's heat with the fans. It could fall into a similar spot to Cena's feud with Austin Theory going into WrestleMania 39.

Paul is a better wrestler and bigger star than Theory, but this would still come off as more of a marketing ploy than a strong investment in WWE's future.

At 29 years old, Paul could work with WWE for a long time to come, but he is not a centerpiece performer and still feels more like a celebrity than a WWE act.

This may be a match WWE delivers in 2025, but 'Mania is too important a moment to spend on elevating a celebrity with established infamy.

While many can argue for the spot, no one has ever been a better rival for John Cena than CM Punk.

In 2011, many fans questioned how good The GOAT truly was until he delivered multiple classic matches with The Best in the World.

Their rivalry changed the landscape of the business and made Punk a household name. These two men will forever be linked.

It may not feel like it, but Punk is 46 years old, just one year younger than The GOAT. While Cena is retiring more to focus on his Hollywood career, Punk may not be far behind.

WWE has a chance to solidify two stars of a bygone era, delivering one last great match together.

Punk is the rare man on the current roster who is pretty much guaranteed to give Cena a good match, but would it be the story they both want at 'Mania?

While they should fight before Cena fully retires, Punk and Cena are on different paths at present that may not intersect.

No one has modeled their career off of John Cena quite like Cody Rhodes.

The American Nightmare debuted in WWE in 2007 at a time when The GOAT was in the midst of a 380-day reign as WWE champion.

At every stage, Rhodes saw Cena as the top man to strive to emulate. When he could not get to the spot in WWE, he left to revitalize his career.

He came back to WWE and immediately established his goal to be the ultimate babyface, the face of the company who will fight all comers to carry the brand.

By that time, Cena was already stepping away from WWE, leaving the top spot to Roman Reigns, but Rhodes has still awaited his moment to face The Champ.

WrestleMania 41 could be his moment. This could be a major passing-of-the-torch moment for The American Nightmare, stepping over the man he has tried to surpass since the day he debuted.

It's a nice story on paper, but Cena may not be ready to keep up with Rhodes at 'Mania, particularly in the main event.

It may be best to wait for later in the year while The GOAT gets back into his best shape. Moreover, Rhodes vs. Cena feels like the perfect last match for the veteran rather than just one contest on his retirement tour.

John Cena vs. CM Punk has the history. Cena vs. Cody Rhodes has the prestige. But it's Cena vs. Bron Breakker that feels most right for this moment.

WrestleMania 41 will be an important stop in Cena's journey but not the end of his story. He needs a rival who can challenge him and benefit from the spotlight.

The GOAT has never won the Intercontinental Championship, denying him the Grand Slam.

Breakker is a young bruiser who has burst on to the scene in a big way, but he has not had a definitive top match yet on the main roster.

Sheamus and Sami Zayn challenged him to take the next step, but neither were main event acts in 2024. Cena is another level.

Breakker vs. Cena is the kind of contest that The GOAT would have sought out during his prime, a chance to elevate a rising star by giving him a major spotlight.

The Cenation Leader can dethrone Breakker to become a Grand Slam champion and use his last year to elevate the intercontinental title's prestige.

Whoever dethrones Cena would get a major rub, and that spotlight might encourage even the biggest stars in WWE to contend for the belt.

There would still be time after his reign as intercontinental champion to set the stage for Cena to contend for the world title once more, perhaps making that his true final match.