Rusev does not believe that John Cena will stay retired. Cena is set to have his final match at WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event on Saturday, December 13. Despite speculation, ‘The Last Real Champion’ has consistently reiterated that he will stay retired after this final match.
Rusev Doubts Retirement
Speaking with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports for a new interview, Rusev went against his former rival’s claims. Rusev said that he does not believe it and that he is not holding his breath.
“I don’t believe it. I’m not holding my breath. I love John and this may be his last match of this century or whatnot, but at some point I want to see him back, whenever that is.”
A sixteen-man tournament will take place to determine Cena’s final opponent. The 16-man tournament, officially dubbed “The Last Time is Now,” was announced during the Saturday Night’s Main Event broadcast on November 1. The tournament is scheduled to begin on the November 10 episode of Monday Night Raw from Cena’s hometown of Boston, which will be his final appearance there.
The field is set to include competitors from Raw, SmackDown, NXT, and potentially even stars from outside WWE. Rusev, who was unsuccessful in his bid for the Intercontinental Championship at the November 1 Saturday Night’s Main Event, is one of the names rumored to be pivoting into the tournament for a chance to face his former rival one last time.


