John Cena’s “Last Time is Now” Tournament: Breaking Down the Field for His Final Opponent

On November 1st, during Saturday Night’s Main Event, John Cena announced a tournament to determine his final opponent. It is called the “Last Time is Now” tournament and features 16 participants fighting for a chance to retire one of the all-time greats. These 16 superstars, he said, would be from Raw, Smackdown, NXT, and even some that aren’t a part of the company.

“For our next SNME, my final opponent isn’t going to be hand-picked; it’s going to be hard-earned,” Cena said in his video package during SNME.

The tourney began in John Cena’s home turf of Boston, and fans were speculating who would have the privilege to face the G.O.A.T. Names like Joe Hendry and Chris Jericho ran the rumor mills as possible mystery opponents. What fans weren’t prepared for was John Cena becoming a grand slam champion before he hung up his boots.

Cena opened Monday Night Raw after an introduction by Triple H, and announced that Saturday Night's Main Event on December 13th will feature NXT superstars facing off against the best and brightest that WWE has to offer. He was then interrupted by Intercontinental Champion Dominik Mysterio, and before the WWE Universe knew it Cena pinned “Dirty Dom” to win the IC title.

This adds plenty of stakes to whoever wins the “Last Time is Now” Tournament, as the winner could dethrone Cena and win the coveted belt. So, who are these participants, you ask? Well, they were slightly underwhelming. Although the bracket included high-flyers Je’von Evans, Gunther, Finn Balor, and Sheamus. That is where the excitement ends.

Sure, LA Knight and Penta are rising stars looking for the opportunity to make a name for themselves. Along with The Miz, who has a history with John Cena. But the rest of the field?

Solo Sikoa, Rusev, Shinsuke Nakamura, Carmelo Hayes, Jey Uso, Damian Priest, Penta, and Bronson Reed. Did someone just decide to put every mid-carder in the bracket and hope no one would notice? Let alone the questionable booking of having The Miz lose despite his history with Cena.

Let’s look at the two surprise entrants for a moment. The WWE Universe wanted to hear “Voices” or “Break the Walls Down”, but instead, fans were left with disappointment. The first surprise was the return of Zack Ryder and his catchphrase “Woo Woo Woo”. He lost quickly to LA Knight and was greeted with a lukewarm reception. Then there was Dolph Ziggler at Madison Square Garden. He received a massive pop from the crowd, but was taken down by Solo Sikoa. Whether or not either of these two continues to wrestle for the WWE remains to be seen.

The tournament continued on Smackdown, where Carmelo Hayes won against Bronson Reed with the assistance of the Usos. Then, Penta took down Finn Balor to advance.

The next round begins on the following Monday Night Raw, and so far, the matchups are Jey Uso vs. Rusev and Sheamus vs. LA Knight. Common sense says Jey Uso and Sheamus will advance, given the WWE’s relentless push for Uso and Sheamus’ history with John Cena. However, Sheamus is ruled out with a shoulder injury and replaced by The Miz. Then the next two matchups are Carmelo Hayes vs Gunther and Solo Sikoa vs Penta.

That being said, the runaway favorite is Gunther. The longest-reigning UK Champion and Intercontinental Champion, Gunther, could be called the perfect wrestler. He got his old theme song back upon returning, meaning he is all business. The Goliath already retired Goldberg earlier this year, so adding John Cena would make for an impressive resume. Whether or not he wins remains to be seen, but bank on him to go far in the tournament. The rumor has it we are looking at a collision between Gunther and Jey Uso in the finals.

John Cena only has two dates left on the calendar, and every appearance is met with massive admiration. His next date is a rematch with Dominik Mysterio at Survivor Series Wargames for the Intercontinental Championship. It would make sense for Cena to retain and carry the belt into his final match, but we will have to see.

No matter who wins the “Last Time is Now” tournament, SNME on December 13th looks to be one for the ages. Let’s hope Triple H and Co. give John Cena time to thank the fans after the match. That being said, as John Cena would say, “You want some, come get some.”