John Cena will compete in his final match at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13. However, before that, WWE superstars are competing in The Last Time is Now Tournament to determine who will face Cena in his retirement match in Washington, DC.
The tournament kicked off during the November 10 episode of Monday Night Raw, continuing through Raw and SmackDown, culminating in the final Saturday Night’s Main Event of 2025.
A mix of WWE superstars from Raw and SmackDown will fight for the chance to retire Cena. The tournament features 16 participants, including main roster stars, rising NXT talents such as Je’Von Evans, and historical adversaries like The Miz.
Notably, Zack Ryder made a surprise return for a special one-off match, and Dolph Ziggler received an enthusiastic response during his match.
In the initial rounds, Rusev and Sheamus advanced to the quarterfinals, although Sheamus withdrew due to a shoulder injury. Both Jey Uso and LA Knight secured their spots, as did returning talents GUNTHER and Solo Sikoa.
More details, including the tournament schedule and results, will follow. WWE has yet to release an official bracket, but updates will be posted as they become available leading up to Cena’s farewell on December 13.
Tournament Matches
First Round
- Rusev def. Damian Priest (Raw, Nov. 10)
- Sheamus def. Shinsuke Nakamura (Raw, Nov. 10)
- Jey Uso def. The Miz (SmackDown, Nov. 14)
- LA Knight def. Zack Ryder (SmackDown, Nov. 14)
- GUNTHER def. Je’Von Evans (Raw, Nov. 17)
- Solo Sikoa def. Nic Nemeth (Raw, Nov. 17)
- Bronson Reed vs. Carmelo Hayes (SmackDown, Nov. 21)
- Penta vs. Finn Balor (SmackDown, Nov. 21)
Quarterfinals
- GUNTHER vs. Bronson Reed or Carmelo Hayes (Raw, Nov. 24)
- Solo Sikoa vs. Penta or Finn Balor (Raw, Nov. 24)
- Rusev vs. Jey Uso (SmackDown, Nov. 28)
- TBA vs. LA Knight (SmackDown, Nov. 28)
Semifinals
- TBA vs. TBA (Raw, Dec. 1)
- TBA vs. TBA (SmackDown, Dec. 5)
Finals
- TBA vs. TBA (Raw, Dec. 8)
