As John Cena gears up for the final five matches of his career, WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has a clear pick for who should stand across from him in his last bout: Joe Hendry. Speaking on TMZ Sports’ Inside The Ring, Henry argued the TNA star deserves the spotlight, framing the potential clash as a chance for Cena to help elevate the next big name on his way out.
Henry compared the scenario to Cena’s own breakthrough in WWE, which came after his first run-in with Kurt Angle. He believes Cena should now play the same role for another rising talent. “If John Cena wants to give back to the business, you give it to somebody that’s gonna have a career,” Henry said. “Just like him, when he came in, and him and Kurt Angle went at it… that interaction with Kurt Angle is what forced the level of where he was gonna be.”
While Hendry is already popular, Henry noted that he still lacks a career-defining win. A victory over Cena, he argued, would give him the credibility to climb higher. “Joe [Hendry] called him out early, and Joe is over as hell. But Joe don’t have no skins on the wall,” Henry explained. “He’s gotta have something that the world is gonna say, ‘Damn, you beat John Cena on his way out, holy s–t.’”
The countdown to Cena’s retirement is already underway. His final match is locked in for Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13 in Washington, D.C. The farewell run comes after a high-profile loss to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlepalooza on September 20. On Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray suggested the booking was meant to re-establish Lesnar as a powerhouse, setting him up for a feud with another returning star—possibly Gunther. That theory lines up with a September 19 Wrestling Observer Newsletter report hinting at Gunther’s comeback after dropping the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam on August 2.
Other legends have weighed in on Cena’s farewell. Ric Flair, in a recent interview, urged the 17-time world champion to make the retirement stick. Citing his own struggles with walking away after his iconic 2008 sendoff against Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania, Flair advised Cena to avoid the same trap. “Wrestling is very addictive,” Flair said. “I hope that he’ll walk away and stay away.”
Who should be John Cena’s final opponent in WWE? Drop your thoughts in the comments and keep it locked to Wrestling Noticias for full coverage of his retirement tour.