John Cena has finally opened up about the one match fans clamored for during his 2025 retirement tour that never came to fruition—a final encounter with his greatest rival, Adam Copeland. Despite Tony Khan previously confirming that WWE never reached out to bridge the promotional gap for a cross-company appearance, Cena revealed that the two remained in close contact throughout the entire farewell run.
Speaking to The Takedown, Cena discussed the deep personal bond he shares with the man formerly known as Edge. Cena noted that the two have a unique shorthand for one another, rooted in their decades of shared history in the ring.
“I talk to Adam all the time. I have great respect for him. We refer to each other as ‘old shoe’ because Adam’s got a very special place in my heart,” Cena said. “Now here we both are, celebrating a long living space in a wonderful business. So I talk to him often. I think both of us understood about something like (the retirement tour) it is the sports entertainment business. But then again, I only had 36 dates. I can’t work with everybody.”
Cena admitted that the constraints of his 36-date schedule meant several reunions had to be left on the cutting room floor. While the “Road to WrestleMania 42” is currently focused on stars like Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre, Cena’s look back at his career highlighted the sheer volume of opponents he appreciates.
“Gosh, I had tons of fun with Khali, all of my opponents, Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Batista. You name it, we could have just run the gambit of folks. I would run out of time trying to tell you the people I wanted to face,” Cena added.
Though a physical match never materialized, the two stars traded respectful nods across promotional lines. Cena famously delivered a Spear in Chicago last September as a tribute to Copeland, while Copeland responded by performing the “Five Knuckle Shuffle” at AEW All Out in Toronto. Cena ended by noting that the comfort they felt together in the ring was like putting on an old pair of shoes.
