As John Cena’s retirement tour heads toward a high-profile showdown with Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza, questions have emerged about why his final matches aren’t being used to spotlight younger talent. WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray offered an explanation this week, linking the booking decision to the fallout from Cena’s short-lived heel turn.
On Busted Open Radio, Bully argued that the heel run collapsed not because of Cena or Cody Rhodes, but because The Rock’s absence derailed the storyline. With the complex heel narrative off the table, WWE pivoted to a simpler, feel-good farewell. In that scenario, Cena couldn’t retire a rising babyface—who would risk being booed for ending a legend’s career—and he couldn’t beat a heel like Bron Breakker, who is already tied up in another program.
According to Bully, the solution was clear: Cena needed an opponent fans truly believe could beat him. “You need John to be able to beat somebody that people know there’s a good chance John ain’t winning this one,” Bully said. “They know he’s gonna beat Bron. There’s a good chance he does not beat Brock.”
To reinforce that dynamic, Bully suggested Lesnar should launch repeated attacks in the lead-up, reestablishing himself as an unstoppable force and positioning Cena as the ultimate underdog for his farewell match. That vision has already been partially realized, with Lesnar closing last week’s SmackDown by dropping R-Truth with an emphatic F-5.
Meanwhile, other aspects of Cena’s current presentation have faced criticism. Lance Storm recently called his continued use of the heel-era “Last Real Champion” moniker “absurd” for a babyface, highlighting the tension between the story WWE is telling and the details of how it is presented.