John Cena began his Farewell Tour on the Netflix premiere of RAW and participated in the 2024 Royal Rumble Match, where he advanced to the final two competitors before being eliminated. The 16-time World Champion’s pursuit of a record-breaking 17th world title reign continues, with an unexpected possibility emerging through WWE’s partnership with TNA.
WWE and TNA currently maintain a multi-year partnership agreement focused on NXT talent exchanges. During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Bully Ray addressed the concept of Cena challenging for the TNA World Championship.
The match would be very healthy for the business and could elevate TNA to a greater level while creating a significant shock factor.
The partnership between WWE and TNA has sparked discussion about potential title unification scenarios. With reports of WWE potentially acquiring TNA’s historical assets, a TNA World Championship reign could potentially count toward Cena’s world title record if such a merger materializes in the future.
However, the possibility of Cena pursuing the TNA World Championship against current champion Joe Hendry remains speculative, as no official plans have been announced regarding an expansion of the current partnership between the two companies.
"That's why I think @JohnCena challenging @JoeHendry for the World Championship could help the health of the entire business… Breathing life into TNA that nobody ever thought could possibly happen. And that's why I like it. I'm a big fan of shock and awe in the wrestling… pic.twitter.com/sN3FxHTpMp
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) February 11, 2025