John Cena is confirmed to be in attendance for tonight’s episode of Friday Night SmackDown, which will broadcast from Lyon, France. The appearance serves as the final stop before his match against Logan Paul at Clash in Paris this Sunday.
During a recent appearance on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon to promote the new season of Peacemaker, Cena expressed his anticipation for performing in front of the French audience, which has gained a significant reputation among WWE talent.
“I’ve done a ton of stuff in my career; I’ve been in front of some crazy crowds, but I’ve never been in front of the crowd that our current roster calls ‘the greatest crowd in WWE history’ in Lyon, France,” Cena said. “All the stuff I’ve ever done in my career, I’ve never heard the so-called ‘greatest crowd in WWE history,’ and it’s supposedly in Lyon.”
The Full Story Behind the Rivalry
The match against Logan Paul on August 31st at the Paris La Défense Arena is a key fixture of Cena’s 2025 farewell tour and marks his first time wrestling in France in over a decade. The build to this encounter has intensified significantly over the past week. On the August 22nd episode of SmackDown in Dublin, Ireland, Cena delivered a promo labeling Logan Paul a “parasite” who uses WWE for his own branding, before hitting him with an Attitude Adjustment.
Paul retaliated later that night with a backstage ambush on Cena to close the show. This on-screen animosity was followed by a social media video from Paul on August 27th, where he reacted to the “parasite” comment. “You know how many impressions I’ve given this company? Why do you think I’m hired?… For him to tell the whole arena and everyone watching that I take from this industry, the fcking audacity, bro,”* Paul stated.
However, the feud’s execution has faced some criticism, particularly following a botched backstage segment. During a planned surprise attack on Cena, Paul’s scripted punch visibly missed its mark. The production crew had to film the segment a second time from a different angle, but WWE ultimately aired the flawed initial take on Netflix while using the reshot version for the television broadcast. The incident drew considerable negative reaction on social media.
The booking itself has also been a point of discussion, with some critics describing the matchup as a “wasted” and “dead-end” feud for Cena’s limited retirement run. The argument is that it prioritizes the star power of both men over elevating more established talent. Following Paul’s backstage attacks, speculation has grown that a stipulation, such as a Last Man Standing or Falls Count Anywhere match, could be added to raise the stakes for their clash in Paris.
Despite the intense on-screen rivalry, John Cena has publicly praised Logan Paul’s abilities. During an appearance at Fan Expo Chicago, Cena referred to Paul as “underrated” and predicted he would become a future champion in WWE. “He’s not an outsider. He belongs in WWE,” Cena affirmed.