As John Cena’s storied career nears its conclusion, one of his toughest tests looms this weekend: a clash with Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza. The bout pits the 17-time world champion against the returning Beast Incarnate, with many predicting Lesnar as the heavy favorite.
Former WWE writer Vince Russo, however, sees the outcome differently. On Sportskeeda’s Writing with Russo, he argued that Cena must win in order to properly set the stage for his final run. “You’ve still got a couple of months for [John] Cena’s retirement. You’ve got to put him over. I think you’ve got to put him over,” Russo said.
Lesnar’s momentum entering the event cannot be ignored. Since his surprise return at SummerSlam, he has left a trail of destruction, including a brutal assault on both Cena and Sami Zayn on a recent episode of SmackDown. Lesnar also leads Cena four-to-two in their career head-to-head meetings, reinforcing his status as the odds-on favorite.
Cena addressed the looming showdown on Monday Night Raw, admitting the scale of the challenge but declaring his readiness. The question now is whether WWE follows Russo’s logic to give Cena a farewell push, or doubles down on Lesnar’s dominance—an answer that will define one of Wrestlepalooza’s biggest stories.