2025 has been a year of bold moves in the wrestling world, with WWE showing no hesitation in going toe-to-toe with All Elite Wrestling’s biggest events. Now, fresh reports suggest the company could be preparing its biggest counter-programming play yet – scheduling John Cena’s final match to run directly against AEW’s Worlds End pay-per-view.
Initially, WWE was said to be lining up Cena vs Brock Lesnar for early December at Saturday Night’s Main Event, positioning it as the legendary 16-time World Champion’s farewell. However, according to Bryan Alvarez on Wrestling Observer Live, there’s talk within WWE about shifting the date to directly coincide with AEW’s year-ending spectacle.
“Originally, the final John Cena match was going to be in early December, Saturday Night’s Main Event,” Alvarez explained. “And this is not confirmed, okay, but it does look like there is now discussion that the date will be moved so it will be head-to-head with AEW Worlds End.”
If the move goes ahead, it wouldn’t be the first time WWE has thrown a blockbuster card against an AEW pay-per-view. Earlier this year, they scheduled Goldberg vs Gunther on Saturday Night’s Main Event the same weekend as AEW All In Texas, alongside other main roster programming.
While WWE’s counter-programming strategy once relied heavily on NXT PLE specials, 2025 has seen a shift towards stacking main roster events directly opposite AEW’s major shows – a move that has sparked debate among fans and insiders alike.
For Cena, this potential final match is more than just a headline – it’s the culmination of a 20-plus-year career that has seen him carry WWE through multiple eras. If his last bow comes opposite Worlds End, it could mark one of the most high-stakes nights in recent wrestling history, with fans torn between witnessing an all-time great’s farewell and watching AEW close out their year.
One thing’s certain – if WWE does go through with this plan, December’s wrestling calendar could deliver one of the most talked-about nights the industry has seen in years.
