WWE legend John Cena is winding down his career, with his retirement expected after December’s “Saturday Night’s Main Event.” To set up his final match, he revealed a huge tournament featuring various superstars competing on Raw and SmackDown to become his final opponent at the event.
The tournament is in the semifinals, with the remaining match set on “Monday Night Raw.” GUNTHER defeated Carmelo Hayes in a hard-fought battle, and Solo Sikoa won due to Penta being unable to continue, leading to the “Ring General” vs. Solo for the semifinal match.
Another match features LA Knight taking on Jey Uso. Knight defeated The Miz, who stepped in to replace Sheamus, out due to injury. Meanwhile, Jey Uso defeated Rusev in the other match, giving the final four competitors. While that hasn’t entirely played out, John Cena recently appeared on WWE’s NXT with a significant announcement regarding Deadline.
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“I remain steadfast to my goal to leave this business better than I found it. The future of NXT is what it’s all about. That’s why I asked Eva, the NXT general manager, for the privilege of selecting the participants of this year’s challengers for the Iron Survivor Challenge,” Cena announced.
He first revealed two of the biggest names in wrestling over the past year: NXT’s Je’Von Evans and TNA’s Leon Slater.
“A pair of 21-year-olds who are way ahead of their time. They’re fun to watch, and I look for big things on the road ahead,” Cena shared.
Additionally, he revealed that “self-made superstar” Joe Henry is participating in the Iron Survivor Challenge. Interestingly, he didn’t appear when Cena said his name, although the WWE legend gave a nice nod to Hendry’s trademark turnaround and smile for the camera.
Former Oregon State University football captain Dion Lenox is in the challenge and ready to “show what he’s got,” according to Cena. Along with that, Cena said that the winner of the Trick Williams vs. Myles Borne match on NXT.
“Gentleman, my time is up. Your time is now,” Cena said, concluding his promotional video.
Williams and Borne competed on Tuesday’s NXT program, with Borne picking up a huge victory to also get into the Iron Survivor Challenge. With that, the men’s match will feature Borne vs. Hendry vs. Evans vs. Slater vs. Lenox at NXT Deadline. The winner of that match earns an NXT Championship match at NXT New Year’s Evil.
The Iron Survivor Challenge has occurred since NXT Deadline 2022 with a men’s and women’s match. Grayson Waller and Roxanne Perez won the inaugural matches, with Trick Williams and Blair Davenport winning in 2023. The 2024 winners were Oba Femi and Giulia. Several of these superstars are now on WWE’s main roster.
NXT Deadline 2025 takes place on Saturday, Dec. 6, in San Antonio, Texas. Other matches on the card include the Women’s Iron Survivor Challenge match and Ricky Saints defending his NXT Championship against Oba Femi.
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