Cena's Final Match Dec.13; Tournament Picks Opponent

John Cena will wrestle his retirement match at Saturday Night’s Main Event XLII on December 13 in Washington, D.C., and WWE will determine his final opponent via a 16-man "The Last Time Is Now" tournament beginning November 10 on Raw. The field will draw from Raw, SmackDown, NXT and potentially outside or returning retirees, and first-round matches have been announced, including Rusev vs. Damian Priest and Sheamus vs. Shinsuke Nakamura — the latter slated for a show in Cena's hometown of Boston. Contenders and endorsements have already emerged: CM Punk suggested a high-profile bout with Sheamus, Maven publicly backed Bron Breakker, and NXT's Brooks Jensen has voiced a personal desire to face Cena. Veterans and pundits have mixed reactions, with Bully Ray criticizing the tournament concept while outlets speculate about surprise returns such as The Undertaker or Bobby Roode joining the bracket. Cena is also scheduled to appear at Survivor Series: WarGames and will have a final Raw at Madison Square Garden as part of his farewell run.