John Cena's next opponent ahead of WWE Crown Jewel 2025 potentially revealed

By Abhijit Singh

Abhijit has been telling sports stories through his words at Khel Now since 2024. He covers Pro wrestling, MMA, Boxing & Formula 1.

Published at :September 23, 2025 at 11:39 AM

Modified at :September 23, 2025 at 11:40 AM

(Courtesy : WWE)

The Cenation Leader suffered a brutal defeat last Saturday!

In the 31st appearance of his retirement tour, 17-time WWE World Champion John Cena, as announced, made his first and only in-ring appearance at the inaugural Wrestlepalooza PLE.

The event aired live on Saturday, September 20, 2025, at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. The inaugural edition of the PLE kicked off the ESPN era for the promotion’s Premium Live Events.

John Cena now only has five dates remaining on his retirement tour

WWE John Cena — INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – SEPTEMBER 20: John Cena makes his entrance during Wrestlepalooza at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on September 20, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Melina Pizano/WWE via Getty Images)

Cena battled with Brock Lesnar in the first match of the Wrestlepalooza PLE. While he did manage to mount some offense and hit three back-to-back AAs, Lesnar managed to kick out at two and then mount a devastating offense, hitting five F5s to pin Cena and win the match.

With the loss, Cena failed to advance his 99 WWE PLEs victory and ended his head-to-head record with Lesnar at 2-5. As mentioned, this was his 31st appearance of his retirement tour, which now only has five appearances left until Cena hangs up his wrestling boots.

The retirement tour went by in a flash, and while fans did get to see Cena battle some of his long-time rivals, there are still a few stars fans wish Cena could have faced before hanging up his boots. According to a new report and Cena’s own recent tweet, this wish of fans might come true.

John Cena vs AJ Styles is still on the table

According to Cory Hays, a potential clash between Cena and ‘The Phenomenal’ AJ Styles is still on the table. Cena and Styles both have expressed their desire to lock horns one final time inside the squared circle. Cena even paid homage to Styles during Clash in Paris when he hit Logan Paul with Styles Clash.

What turned fans’ attention was also a tweet from John Cena himself ahead of this week’s Monday Night Raw, where he specifically mentioned a potential clash with Styles and asked for fans’ thoughts on the matter. “#CenavsStyles Thoughts? #WWERAW” Cena tweeted.

John Cena's latest tweet ahead of #WWERaw tonight!Cena vs Styles👀 pic.twitter.com/WkKO0qAzin
— KN Wrestling (@knwrestling) September 22, 2025

Also Read: List of all John Cena’s WWE appearances in 2025 so far

What is John Cena’s next WWE appearance after Wrestlepalooza?

Cena’s next WWE appearance will take place in Perth, Australia, on October 11 at Crown Jewel 2025.

Who is Cena going to face at Crown Jewel 2025?

There is no official announcement about his next opponent. However, reports suggest a potential clash with AJ Styles, something he himself has hinted at, although no specific date has been mentioned for the aforementioned clash.

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Abhijit Singh

Abhijit Singh is a budding sports journalist with over three years of experience in the field, and a photographer capturing stories through his lens since 2018. With a background in philosophy and political science, he brings a thoughtful, analytical edge to his reporting where every word is guided by curiosity and intent. Whether he's capturing the emotion of a moment or unpacking the deeper narratives within the game, Abhijit’s work is rooted in insight and passion. When he’s not covering sports, he’s often exploring new ideas through reading, traveling or just procrastinating.