Three stars Gunther could retire next after spoiling John Cena & Goldberg’s WWE farewell

The Ring General spoiled the farewell of two wrestling legends for fans in 2025.

‘The Ring General’ Gunther has proved his dominance with incredible title runs as the Intercontinental title and as the World Heavyweight title. However, in 2025, he truly became a ‘Legend Killer’, spoiling the farewell of two wrestling legends, Goldberg and John Cena.

While the wins have brought him a lot of heat from the fans, the Ring General is not bothered, especially since tapping out the 17-time World Champion, John Cena, following which he has received a lot of flak.

Despite the constant chorus of boos, Gunther remains unfazed, openly mocking fans and locker room veterans who took issue with his disrespect toward Cena.

WWE has been positioning Gunther as a “legend killer,” with some reports suggesting he could eventually retire Brock Lesnar next year. Here are three WWE stars he could target next after taking down Cena.

3. Rey Mysterio

Since making his return to the ring following the pre-WrestleMania injury, Rey Mysterio has looked every bit as impressive as he did in his younger days. Mysterio has also been one of the most vocal voices against the Ring General, even confronting him on the recent 12/22 episode of Raw.

If Rey decides to hang up his wrestling boots, which could likely be further down the line as he shows signs of slowing down, WWE could use this angle to book a retirement match pitting Rey against the Ring General, adding another feather in his cap of truly becoming the ‘Legend Killer’.

Also Read: Four dream matches WWE should consider booking in 2026

2. CM Punk

During the December 22 episode of Raw, CM Punk got right into Gunther’s face when the latter again disrespected Cena during his promo. Despite Punk being one of Cena’s biggest rivals, the respect between the two remains strong.

WWE also has the option to explore the history between Punk and Gunther, as Punk was the one who pinned the Ring General at SummerSlam 2025 to end his second World title reign. Similar to Rey, Punk has shown no signs of slowing down, but WWE has the option to create an intriguing storyline if such a match between the two takes place.

1. AJ Styles

‘The Phenomenal’ AJ Styles has had multiple face-offs with Gunther since Cena’s retirement, with the Ring General constantly mocking Styles with the ‘You Can’t See Me’ taunt. Additionally, Styles has confirmed that 2026 will be his final in-ring run as he looks to hang up his wrestling boots.

Gunther, too, has admitted that a match with AJ Styles would be appealing. The multiple face-offs might be the beginning of the feud, which could end in the two colliding in Styles’ retirement match.

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