On the November 10 edition of WWE Raw, John Cena announced that his final show on the December 13 WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event will feature NXT vs. WWE main roster matches throughout the night.
Giving the young stars of the WWE NXT brand a platform that will be watched by so many fans, this Saturday Night’s Main Event will be a huge opportunity for several names on the roster right now.
From big time dream matches fans have brought up for years to the best of NXT clashing with the main roster talent, these matches will make this upcoming show one of the most anticipated of the entire year.
Here are seven potential NXT vs. WWE matches at the John Cena retirement show.
7. Ilja Dragunov vs. Je’Von Evans – United States Championship
On the October 17 episode of WWE SmackDown, Ilja Dragunov made his return to the company for the first time in over a year.
Answering an open challenge, Dragunov would go on to defeat Sami Zayn to win the United States Championship.
Since this win, fans have watched ‘The Mad Dragon’ establish his own US Open Challenge and take on some intriguing challengers, such as Aleister Black, Johnny Gargano and Fraxiom.
The December 13 edition of WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event gives the company a great chance to allow Dragunov’s United States Championship Open Challenge to a bigger stage.
Dragunov defending against a top NXT star like Je’Von Evans would offer WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event a legitimate showstealer that everyone would remember.
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6. Trick Williams & Carmelo Hayes vs. The Miz & Grayson Waller
Back on the WWE NXT Homecoming 2025 show, Carmelo Hayes returned to the brand and teamed with Trick Williams to defeat DIY in tag team action.
On the Friday Night SmackDown brand, Hayes has been embroiled in a rivalry with his former tag team partner The Miz.
This could see Miz recruit another member of the WWE roster like Grayson Waller who has a similar personality to him to do battle with the former NXT Champion.
The Miz teaming with Waller against Trick Melo Gang would make for a compelling matchup where NXT stars team with talent from the WWE main roster.
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5. Blake Monroe vs. Tiffany Stratton
Ever since signing with WWE in June 2025, Blake Monroe has done so much to prove herself as a top star for the NXT women’s division.
At WWE NXT Halloween Havoc 2025, Monroe defeated Zaria to win the NXT Women’s North American Championship.
Meanwhile, Tiffany Stratton has become one of the most prominently featured stars on the main roster today and a former WWE Women’s Champion.
Having a top main roster talent like Stratton battling Monroe would be a spotlighted bout that could help further establish the former AEW star in WWE.
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4. Ethan Page vs. LA Knight
Ethan Page has become one of the best talkers and characters in all of WWE since signing with the company in 2024.
The current NXT North American Champion has even become a partnership with SmackDown’s Chelsea Green.
On the other hand, there is someone like LA Knight who went from SmackDown to Monday Night Raw in 2025 and further cemented himself as one of the most popular stars on the roster.
Looking at both men’s strengths, Knight and Page could give the WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event show an interesting encounter that helps to make Ethan’s transition to Raw or SmackDown easier.
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3. Zaria vs. Rhea Ripley
In 2024, Zaria signed with WWE and immediately became one of the most pushed stars on the entire NXT roster today.
With her background being from Australia, Zaria has drawn some comparisons to WWE top star, Rhea Ripley.
Considering both women’s unique and alternative looks, Rhea and Zaria will continue to get compared to one another for however long they will be in WWE together.
Facing Ripley in a high profile bout on the December 13 show will help to solidify Zaria as someone main roster fans should keep an eye on, while also delivering a hard hitting and intense battle.
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2. Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker
When it comes to physically intense matches, there might not be any match that has more potential to deliver in a huge way more than Oba Femi vs. Bron Breakker.
In two of the most dominant runs in the history of NXT, Breakker and Femi both immediately showcased themselves as future WrestleMania headliners.
In 2021, Breakker debuted on WWE NXT and was positioned as a main event talent, winning the NXT Championship twice and presented as a top star right from the start. Meanwhile, Femi has set records and ran through everyone he faced on the brand.
Femi getting a showcase match should be a high priority for the WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event card and giving fans a showdown with Bron Breakker could be one of the most memorable bouts of the entire calendar year.
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1. Ricky Saints vs. Cody Rhodes
When looking at potential NXT vs. WWE main roster matches, there are none that have the history and connection of a possible Ricky Saints vs. Cody Rhodes matchup.
Long viewed as close friends, Rhodes and Saints have pretty much been connected in real life since Ricky made his AEW debut against Cody back in 2020.
Now five years later, both men sit atop of their respective brands as champion with Rhodes holding the Undisputed WWE Championship and Saints the current NXT Champion.
Having Saints face Rhodes could further play on their real life friendship and creating a future long term rivalry that will help Ricky make his name on Raw or SmackDown down the line.
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