During John Cena’s final appearance for WWE in the city of Boston, he made a surprise announcement that had people buzzing on social media.
He revealed that a series of matches will be held on the same episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event that will feature his very final match. In this series, wrestlers from NXT will compete in “exhibition matches” against main roster wrestlers.
Right away, people began to wonder what “exhibition match” means in that context. While it wasn’t clarified, I took it to mean that the matches would feature no storyline repercussions, no titles on the line, and so forth. NXT Wrestler A facing Raw Wrestler B doesn’t mean they’re feuding, that NXT Wrestler A is immediately heading to Raw… that type of thing.
As of the moment I type this sentence, we don’t know any details on the match series yet. Who is competing, how many matches there will be… just that we’re getting some matches, and that they’ll take place on the December 13th episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event.
That’s fine and all, but sitting back and waiting for further details isn’t as fun as speculating and… gasp… fantasy booking.
What matches would I like to see?
Thank you for asking.
You’re welcome.
Like I usually do, I won’t be listing things in any particular order, but let’s have some fun.
Randy Orton vs Myles Borne: Just typing that out made me laugh. It makes too much sense, folks. For a while now, Myles Borne has been compared to Randy Orton because he has looked like a younger version of The Viper. They’ve had similar builds, similar hairstyles, similar tattoos, and so on. WWE has often made decisions to lean in and showcase similar jobs, like when the Muppets were on Raw and it was revealed that Sheamus and Beaker are related after years of people comparing the two.
Don’t get me wrong, though… this isn’t just a comedy match. Borne has been one of the more impressive young talents in NXT for a while now, clearly moving with an upward trajectory since starting his work with the No Quarter Catch Crew a couple years ago. Just being in the ring with a future Hall Of Famer like Randy Orton can do a lot for his career, but can you imagine if he takes Orton to the limit, or… heaven forbid… he can actually defeat him?
This could end up being a lot of fun.
Cody Rhodes vs Ethan Page: I know a lot of people would put Ricky Saints in this spot instead of Ethan Page, and I completely understand why. Cody and Ricky are very good friends, and that has been well documented through the years. I have no issues whatsoever with Ricky Saints, but I chose Mr. Page for two reasons…
One, I think Rhodes vs Page is a better match than Rhodes vs Saints. I just feel their styles work well together, and the overall product would end up being better.
Two, on a show that is going to be headlined by John Cena’s final match, and is already getting attention because of this WWE vs NXT match series, I feel that having the Undisputed WWE Champion facing the NXT Champion is a bit of overkill. That’s a match you can have down the road at some point.
While Cody and Ricky definitely have a bunch of history together, it’s not like Cody and Ethan are complete strangers. They worked together in AEW, of course, wrestling against each other twice while there, but their history goes back even further than that. They faced each other on an EVOLVE show back in 2016, and would even have a six-month reign as the A1 Tag Team Champions for Page’s Alpha-1 Wrestling promotion in Canada.
It just makes sense to put them together for something like this.
Tiffany Stratton vs Blake Monroe: I’ve seen a lot of people saying that Blake should face Charlotte Flair here, and while I think that would make sense, I think a match against Tiffany Stratton makes for a much more interesting pairing.
There are enough similarities in their characters, and if we get any sort of promo work or backstage segments to go with the matches, that sounds like it could be a blast.
This has nothing to do with potential match quality, but it’s crazy to think that Blake is nine months older than Tiffany is. I guess I just pictured Tiffany as being older because she has been in a WWE spotlight for such a long time now.
Sheamus vs Oba Femi: Say it with me, folks… BIG MEATY MEN SLAPPING MEAT! While Oba Femi has proven to be great against anyone he steps in the ring with, the biggest appeal to watching him work is to see him against some other big, badass dude as they proceed to beat the holy hell out of each other.
Of the entire WWE roster, there might not be anyone more willing to beat the holy hell out of someone, while having the holy hell beaten out of him in return, than Sheamus. Sometimes I wonder if Sheamus even cares about winning or losing anymore. He’s accomplished almost everything there is to accomplish in pro wrestling, and at this point, he seems to only be concerned with getting into fights and having “banger after banger after banger.”
You want a banger? Here’s a banger for you.
Sheamus is also in the position where it doesn’t really affect him if and when he loses, so getting pinned by Oba Femi doesn’t ruin him like it might for some other main roster wrestlers. I think Oba Femi is in a spot where he should win a match like this, no matter who he ends up facing. He’s a potential game changing talent on Raw or Smackdown, and giving him a big win in his main roster debut, official or otherwise, is a great move. Making it happen against a four-time World Champion is even better.
Dominik Mysterio vs Je’Von Evans: It might not be the pairing that immediately comes to mind for many of you, but it makes perfect sense to me. Right now, Je’Von Evans is one of the most exciting… and most likable… babyface wrestlers in the entire business. On the flip side of that coin, Dominik Mysterio has everything you could possibly need to be a generational heel talent. That alone makes this a fun matchup.
Then you throw in the fact that Je’Von defies gravity quite regularly, while Dom is the King Of The Luchadores, and you have the ingredients for something that could be a blast to witness.
Chances are, we aren’t going to get five matches in the series. First and foremost, the last time an episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event featured six or more (five WWE vs NXT matches, plus John Cena’s final match) matches was in July 2006. It just isn’t likely to happen. Fortunately for me, this wasn’t about making predictions, and instead, was merely about what kinds of matches I would like to see.
Now, it’s your turn. What matches would YOU like to see in this WWE vs NXT series? As always, feel free to hit me up in the comments section below, on Twitter (@HustleTheSavage), or on Bluesky (@aaronhyden.bsky.social), and let me know what’s on your mind.
Let’s go ahead and get to my Weekly Power Rankings before closing things out with the list of songs I was listening to as I put this column together.
Weekly Power Rankings
Men’s Blood & Guts Match: Obviously, this is a match type where you know exactly what you’re going to get. It’s going to be bloody, violent, chaotic, and it’s going to make you cringe on several occasions. I’ve been clear in the past that I don’t always enjoy these super violent matches. Here and there is fine, but I can’t do shows where seemingly every match features barbed wire, broken glass, etc. Blood & Guts episodes of Dynamite are something of an exception. The matches are long enough that, for all intents and purposes, they take up the entire episode, so it’s basically an “all hardcore” show. However, I still find myself enjoying the matches, as they usually consist of top-tier wrestlers who can carry more of the actual “working” instead of just going from one bloody spot to another. I really enjoyed this one. It was very dramatic, with the match featuring a ton of back-and-forth action that made you think both sides were going to win the match multiple times. Now, no more of this for a while, please.
Women’s Blood & Guts Match: While I do have this one ranked behind the men’s match, the gap between the two wasn’t very large. The main difference is something I mentioned in the previous entry… how these matches tend to feature top-tier wrestlers. In the men’s match, we got a roster of veterans, while this match featured a mixture of veterans and some of the younger, more inexperienced talents in AEW. That’s not necessarily a complaint, mind you. It’s just me pointing out that some of the action here was a bit slower and more awkward than what we saw in the men’s match. It was still wild and every bit as violent as you would want and expect it to be.
John Cena: A look at the past, present, and future. That’s what we got with Cena in the first hour or so of Raw. We got to pay tribute to his past, where he developed one of the most legendary careers in the history of wrestling. Then we got the attention paid to his current retirement tour as the sand continues to pass through the hourglass. We even got a look at the future, with Cena announcing the WWE vs NXT match series, putting over the next generation of in-ring performers. That was all tied in to his work with Dominik Mysterio here, both on the microphone and then in their Intercontinental Title match. The match itself probably could’ve been listed here, but I figured the hour was so dominated by Cena that I figured I’d just lump it all together.
“Hangman” Adam Page vs Powerhouse Hobbs: What else could you want in a television episode that featured two Blood & Guts matches? How about a Falls Count Anywhere Match? This was put together very well, allowing for Hobbs to look like a million dollar monster, using his massive size and major power advantage to dominate the current AEW World Champion. Hangman, on the other hand, also got to look great, because he took a ton of damage, but kept fighting back time and time again, ultimately picking up the hard-fought victory. Fun stuff.
Ilja Dragunov vs Axiom: Hey, it’s the regular inclusion of the United States Title Open Challenge series in my Weekly Power Rankings! No matter who the champion is, and no matter who the challenger is, we just keep on getting high quality. No, there was never any thought that Axiom was going to win the title here, but the match was still very enjoyable.
Ricky Saints vs Trick Williams: This was a better match than the one they had at Halloween Havoc, which was still pretty good in its own right. There was a frenetic pace and chaos here that Halloween Havoc didn’t feature, certainly helped by the Last Man Standing stipulation. They beat the hell out of each other, and I liked watching them do that. Works for me.
Oba Femi: Even though he has been active on the NXT live event circuit, Oba has been away from NXT programming since dropping the NXT Championship to Ricky Saints at No Mercy back at the end of September. There were a ton of rumors that he was headed to the main roster, but he made his NXT return, clearly setting his sights on Saints and the NXT Title. The match will be fun, but I do wonder if it’s a necessary step for him. He’s more than ready for Raw or Smackdown. It’s just a matter of finding the right time and story for his arrival.
Bandido, “Speedball” Mike Bailey, Kevin Knight & Juice Robinson vs FTR, Rush & Sammy Guevara: Â The pace was insanely fast, and the action never seemed to stop. That’s the type of match we get from these “All-Star” tag matches in AEW. It doesn’t matter if there’s a story being told or not, but at least the matches are entertaining.
Stephanie Vaquer vs Raquel Rodriguez: I’ll say it again… Raquel owes so much to Kevin Nash for his constructive criticism of her work a while back. He didn’t say she sucked or anything, but that she should wrestle in the “big man” style that people like him were able to successfully use. She’s six-feet-tall, so she’s automatically much taller than anyone she gets in the ring with, so it’s advice that makes sense. Raquel took that advice to heart, and she actually did change her in-ring style. Sure enough, that directly coincides with her in-ring work getting better, and she is currently on an amazing hot streak in both singles and tag action.
Kyle Fletcher vs Scorpio Sky: Another really good Kyle Fletcher match? I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you. This was another match where the outcome was never in question. As good as Scorpio Sky is, he’s not being booked to defeat Kyle Fletcher for the TNT Title in late-2025. It just isn’t happening. He still meshed well with the champion here, and looked good in defeat. I guess that’s what matters.
Joe Hendry: Everyone and their mothers have expected Joe Hendry to be signed to a WWE contract sooner than later. It took a while, but it has officially happened. Sean Ross Sapp and Fightful are reporting that Hendry has finished up with TNA, and has signed a WWE contract. It will be interesting to see how he’s used now that he is more than just someone who can make a surprise appearance at WrestleMania to be defeated by Randy Orton.
Asuka & Kairi Sane: The match itself just missed the cut here, but congratulations to the brand new WWE Women’s Tag Team Champions. They have been doing really good work, so it’s nice to see them get rewarded with a title reign.
Zack Ryder: While I was never a huge Zack Ryder fan, it was good to see him make a return for the Last Time Is Now tournament, even if it was a loss in a one-night deal. A (sort of) surprise return, but one that makes sense, considering Ryder’s history with John Cena. Simple. Effective.
This Week’s Playlist: “GIVE ME A REASON” by NF… “Belly” by Wale… “Where To Start” by Wale… “600 Degrees” by BigXThaPlug, Ro$ama, Yung Hood & MurdaGang PB… “Better Believe It” by Bun B, LaRussell & The Midnight Revival… “Can’t Stop My Hustle” by Bun B, Cory Mo, Young Dro, Killa Kyleon & Jori… “Evergreen Misery” by MOTHICA… “Where The Flowers Never Grow” by The Devil Wears Prada… “So Low” by The Devil Wears Prada… “Free” by Ejae & Andrew Choi… “Up Jumps Da Boogie” by Timbaland, Magoo, Missy Elliott & Aaliyah… “Luv 2 Luv U (Remix)” by Timbaland, Magoo, Shaunta & Playa… “Peepin’ My Style” by Timbaland… “Clock Strikes (Remix)” by Timbaland & Magoo… “Lovebomb” by The Neighbourhood… “Private” by The Neighbourhood… “Planet” by The Neighbourhood… “My Own Summer (Shove It)” by Deftones… “Dragula” by Rob Zombie… “More Human Than Human” by White Zombie… “Wherever I May Roam” by Metallica… “Blind” by Korn… “Sober” by Tool… “(sic)” by Slipknot… “Eyeless” by Slipknot… “Wait and Bleed” by Slipknot… “Spit It Out” by Slipknot… “Liberate” by Slipknot… “Seasons In The Abyss” by Slayer… “Them Bones” by Alice In Chains
