Will John Cena win the Intercontinental Title and let him become the WWE icon in his final match? Potential explored

Oh, how the year has flown by! John Cena only has four more dates left on his retirement tour, with his final match coming in less than two months at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, 2025. That means that of the many first-time matches we all want to see, and quite honestly, many we want to see return, a maximum of four opponents are possible, unless Cena is involved in WarGames.

The greatest of all time is expected to be present on two episodes of Monday Night RAW, preceding Survivor Series, at TD Garden in Boston (near his hometown, West Newbury) and then at Madison Square Garden in New York, the traditional home of WWE. It’s obviously unclear if Cena will actually wrestle on either show, although it makes sense to officially have at least one final match on Monday Night RAW, and the fact that the options are either at home or with WWE is a nice icing on the cake.

However, with only four dates remaining on the tour, fans are curious and speculation is rife as to how the rest of John Cena’s dates will be booked. The favored opponent for Cena’s final match now appears to be Gunther, with backstage discussions about it reportedly being seriously considered. Gunther had, in fact, always been a prime candidate to face him on his farewell tour, and among the most logical names to retire him over time.

Meanwhile, another name that fans have been desperately waiting for against Cena is one of the most despised, yet now beloved, names in the company, Dominik Mysterio. And with Dominik, the reigning Intercontinental Champion, and a very interesting parallel at play – Cena never having won the title – there’s a story here that writes itself. Cena could challenge Dominik Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship in November, perhaps on the provocation of Dirty Dom.

After all, despite the fans’ loud applause, he remains a very dirty piece of waste; maybe that’s why fans are cheering for him in the first place. However, he obviously won’t be cheered by John Cena. Imagine Mysterio confronting Cena and mocking him for never holding the title in Boston, only to set up a match later that night, or maybe next week at MSG for RAW, or at Survivor Series in a few days. Considering Cena and Dom could get a lot done trading barbs on the mic, a proper program is pretty appealing.

Once John Cena defeats Dominik Mysterio for the title, he might have the greatest intercontinental champion waiting on the other side: Gunther. The Ring General, out of action since SummerSlam, nursing a nose injury he suffered earlier this summer, is synonymous with the Intercontinental Championship. Routing the remainder of John Cena’s retirement tour through Dominik Mysterio and Gunther seems like an exciting route, especially with the one title that has eluded Cena his entire playing career.

John Cena reiterated that December 13 will mark his last match

John Cena recently asked This crushes the rumors as well as the hopes of fans around the world, and these rumors seem to be nothing more than wishful thinking. The 17-time world champion posted:

“Despite any speculation or rumors, on July 6, 2024, I announced that I would be retiring from WWE to compete in the ring. I am far from perfect but I strive to be a person whose word has value. 12/13/25 will be my last match. I am beyond grateful for every moment WWE has given me. I am excited for 12/13 and can’t wait to see you all one last time.”

John Cena’s appearance in Boston, Massachusetts on November 10 will be followed by the following episode of Monday Night RAW at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 17. He will appear directly at WWE Survivor Series: WarGames on November 29, across the country on the West Coast, at Pedco Park in San Diego, California. Cena’s final match will take place in the Saturday Night Main Event on December 13, 2025, at the Capital One Arena in the nation’s capital, Washington, DC.