Eight WWE stars remain in the Last Time is Now Tournament to determine the final opponent of John Cena’s illustrious career. 16 performers, including former rivals like Dolph Ziggler and Zack Ryder, made guest appearances. Je’Von Evans was the lone representative from NXT. The purpose of the tournament was for Cena to give an opportunity to someone on the current roster, just as he received a huge moment with Kurt Angle years ago. Thanks for the submission! With a few big names like Jey Uso, Gunther, and LA Knight remaining, a different performer may earn to right to face Cena on December 13th. The next four signs point to Carmelo Hayes winning the Last Time is Now Tournament. #4. He’s from the same area as John Cena John Cena is from West Newbury, Massachusetts. The town sits Northeast of Boston near the border with New Hampshire. Hayes is from Framingham, Massachusetts, which is about a half hour west of Beantown. Both stars hail from the Bay State, and Hayes cut his teeth on the Northeast independent wrestling scene before joining WWE. It could just be a coincidence or a reason why he’ll win, but having a guy from the same area oppose Cena in his final match seems like an omen. #3. Cena has endorsed Hayes in the past One thing WWE always does is have some of the bigger names from the main roster come to NXT to help out or advise current performers. Randy Orton, the Hardyz, and the Undertaker hyped up Evans. John Cena came to NXT in 2023 when Hayes was feuding with Bron Breakker. The two were linked together in developmental and may cross paths many more times on the main roster. Having a guy Cena endorsed when he was in NXT win the Last Time is Now Tournament makes sense with the history to play off. Cena wouldn’t do that for just anyone, but would have done so for a guy he could help out in the future. #2. Trying out the babyface role on the WWE main roster After a brief pairing with the Miz, Carmelo Hayes turned face on the main roster for the first time. He portrayed both a hero and a villain in NXT, but began his run on SmackDown as a brash young competitor. While he does a great job with either role, he could find more success as a face. Aleister Black is a fantastic heel, and Solo Sikoa runs things on SmackDown with the MFTs. Drew McIntyre has had a few title shots, and Randy Orton could turn heel when he returns. Winning the Last Time is Now Tournament would help Hayes’ status as a babyface and potentially lead to gold in 2026. #1. Carmelo Hayes is the youngest participant left The Last Time is Now Tournament was made so John Cena could pass the torch to a younger star who represents the future of WWE. While it was nice to see former rivals like Zigger, Sheamus, and Rusev battle for the right to oppose the 17-time Champion one more time, the whole event is about the future. Hayes is the only remaining star under 30. The rest are over 40 or nearing it. The tournament should be used to propel a different star forward, and one that hasn’t had an illustrious career in WWE. Most stars in the tournament have won gold on the main roster, but Hayes hasn’t. Facing Cena in Cena’s final match would be the first entry on what could be a great career resume for HIM.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe/4-signs-wwe-smackdown-star-will-win-last-time-now-tournament
Tag Archives: john cena
The Rock shares massive update; fuels WWE return speculation
The Rock has shared a massive update that could fuel speculation about his potential WWE return. The “Final Boss” hasn’t appeared on television since *Elimination Chamber: Toronto*, where he orchestrated John Cena’s heel turn.
In a recent interview with *The Hollywood Reporter*, The Rock revealed that filming for the live-action *Moana* movie has officially wrapped. He has also concluded the promotion of *The Smashing Machine* following its disappointing box office performance.
“Playing Maui has been the gift of a lifetime. Growing up as a Samoan, half Samoan and half Black, in Samoan culture, Polynesian culture—we’re proud people, proud of our culture,” Rocky shared. “And what *Moana* has represented is a really awesome global embrace of Polynesian culture, our values and our qualities, our pride and our mana. Today’s Tuesday. Just this past Friday, around 8:00 pm, we officially wrapped the live-action version of *Moana*, so we can’t wait.”
With the *Moana* live-action project completed and *The Smashing Machine* tour concluded, many fans are curious to see if The Rock will get involved with WWE again during the Road to WrestleMania for the third consecutive year.
Looking ahead, The Rock’s next film under director Martin Scorsese is expected to begin filming sometime in 2026. Industry reports suggest this will likely happen in the second or third quarter of the year, as Scorsese is slated to start shooting *What Happens at Night* with Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio in January or February 2026 (according to *IndieWire*).
### The Rock vs. Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 42?
In addition to The Rock’s potentially open schedule during the Road to WrestleMania 42, WWE star Cody Rhodes recently teased that The Final Boss character is only scratching the surface, and his story is far from over.
With Roman Reigns currently without a clear program for next year’s WrestleMania, the possibility of a marquee matchup between Reigns and The Rock has once again captured fans’ imaginations. The dream match was originally planned for WrestleMania 39 but was ultimately scrapped. There were also talks of booking it during the Road to WrestleMania 40, but fan backlash and desire to see Cody Rhodes finish his storyline put those plans on hold.
At present, Seth Rollins is sidelined with a shoulder injury, and Jey Uso has yet to reach The Tribal Chief’s level, opening more questions about WWE’s long-term plans.
Could WWE be preparing to deliver one of the biggest dream matches in its history?
The Road to WrestleMania 42 officially begins on January 31, 2026, at the Royal Rumble event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. WWE Universe will be watching closely to see if The Rock makes his highly anticipated return.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe/news-the-rock-shares-massive-update-fuels-wwe-return-speculation