With all eyes still on John Cena in the lead-up to his last bout in a WWE ring on Saturday Night’s Main Event, new stars will soon emerge.
After the retirement of the legendary John Cena, storylines will continue as the space previously occupied on-screen by the beloved farewell tour could make way for brand new stars.
Here are six WWE stars that may be pushed after John Cena departs for retirement.
6. GUNTHER
Perhaps the most obvious choice coming off of Saturday Night’s Main Event and John Cena’s retirement to make a big impact is GUNTHER.
After winning the Last Time Is Now tournament to become Cena’s final opponent, GUNTHER has vowed to make the legendary WWE star quit.
Potentially making good on that promise, it could be that GUNTHER is poised for a major run as a monstrous heel on WWE Raw after Cena’s retirement.
Able to possibly strike up a feud with Randy Orton given GUNTHER’s recent foray into being a legend killer himself, it certainly seems set to be a big 2026 for The Ring General.
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5. AJ Styles
A professional wrestling legend, AJ Styles is seemingly looking to also wind down his in-ring career in the near future.
With reports putting Styles’ current WWE contract as expiring sometime after Royal Rumble but before WrestleMania 42, perhaps there will be an abbreviated farewell tour coming soon for Styles.
Taking the first few months of 2026 to see AJ Styles take on some of his more spirited rivals one more time could be a great deal of fun, particularly coming off of the successful retirement tour of Cena.
Giving a spotlight to the fan favorite veteran ahead of his potential in-ring retirement could be a really special addition to the beginning of 2026.
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4. LA Knight
Despite being a fan favorite with a clear connection to the WWE audience, it seems that LA Knight can’t catch a break.
Now seemingly written off TV at the hands of The Vision and a mystery attacker, 2026 could bring a renewed push for LA Knight.
Able to continue to serve as a babyface, Knight could end up being just as compelling of a performer if he amps up his frustration and takes a subtle shift to the dark side.
Able to float conspiracy theories about his lack of opportunity or even outright call the company ‘corrupt’ in storyline, there could be a fun new character spin for LA Knight that leans into fans’ desire to root for an anti-hero.
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3. Bron Breakker
With a hearty proportion of the 2025 storytelling in WWE being centered on the veteran presence of Cena and other established names, a new faction emerged to shake things up.
Joining the Seth Rollins’ helmed Vision stable, Bron Breakker already seemed destined for big things in the future but that has seemed to speed up given Rollins’ injury.
Able to pivot to a new attitude, Breakker has certainly made no qualms about calling out others on the roster for their age as well as his ability to take them out.
Set to take on CM Punk on the first episode of WWE Raw in 2026 for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, it could be that Breakker’s big year is just beginning.
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2. Drew McIntyre
One top star that might benefit most from the departure of John Cena could be Drew McIntyre as he could claim the space currently occupied by Cena.
Definitely able to spin his character into a dastardly emissary for The Final Boss, McIntyre could also simply go on a quest to achieve his next goal.
Whether toppling Cody Rhodes or something entirely different, McIntyre has fan support even in his dastardly actions, which could prove pivotal in his next storyline.
Sort of languishing after his red-hot feud with CM Punk, there should definitely be increased focus on Drew McIntyre moving into 2026.
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1. Chris Jericho
With John Cena out mid-December, WWE fans could actually see a fairly short turnaround with the return of another legendary star.
Chris Jericho has not appeared for AEW since April when he effectively wrote himself out of the company via a segment of his ‘TV Time with Chris Jericho’ talk show on Dynamite.
With reports that not only is his contract with AEW set to end at the end of the year but also that there is a reasonable chance he could return to WWE — perhaps there will be a very short break between farewell tours.
Able to re-sign with WWE and immediately capture acclaim and respect from the audience given his achievements, it could be that Jericho returns as a beloved top babyface and new target of nostalgic good will for the audience.
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