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The next edition of Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event is going to be a big one, and has just gotten even bigger with the inclusion of a huge match for WWE Champion Cody Rhodes.

During Fridayâ€s episode of WWE SmackDown, Drew McIntyre attempted to show up amidst his ongoing suspension. He pulled up into the backstage area of the show and was promptly met by Adam Pearce, Nick Aldis, and several WWE officials. As they argued, McIntyre was eventually forced back into his car, where Cody Rhodes had snuck in to wait.

Tomorrow night just got a whole lot bigger!

The winner of the NXT Championship Match at NXT Deadline will be facing Cody Rhodes NEXT WEEK at Saturday Night’s Main Event ? pic.twitter.com/SigcbWNSIW

— WWE (@WWE) December 6, 2025

Rhodes attacked McIntyre and was eventually pulled from the car. McIntyre then drove off, leaving an irate Rhodes there. Later in the show, Rhodes would find himself a match for Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event in an unlikely way.

While backstage, Rhodes spoke with NXTâ€s Ricky Saints and Oba Femi. He then said that whoever won the NXT Championship at their match at tomorrowâ€s Deadline event would get to face him next weekend.

Alongside Rhodes†match, Bayley and Sol Ruca will also take part in singles action. The matches coincide with John Cenaâ€s wish to promote younger stars at the show, which will also be his last. Bayley and Sol Rucaâ€s match was also set backstage, with the two stars talking about facing off.

WWE Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event is set to take place on December 13, 2025. The show will be at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., and will feature John Cenaâ€s final match with WWE.

READ MORE: WWE SmackDown Results: Review, Grades, Card For Dec 5

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The finals of the Last Time Is Now Tournament took place on the December 5, 2025 episode of WWE SmackDown at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. LA Knight and Gunther met in the closing match of a bracket, and everyone was watching that match go down.

John Cenaâ€s final opponent for Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event on December 13, 2025 has been decided. Now, it looks like all WWE needs to do is hype the match over the next week. Only time will tell how it all turns out, but the IC Title isnâ€t in the picture after Cena dropped the title back to Dominik Mysterio at Survivor Series: WarGames.

This match went down as the main event of the show, and it had a lot of hype behind it. Fans were rallying online for LA Knight to get the win, but GUNTHER was also a very stiff competitor. GUNTHER was entering this match with an impressive statistic, as he had never lost a non-title singles match in his WWE career.

Mark Nash really gave this match a big fight feel thanks to his ring introductions. After they traded some stiff shots, the match went to a commercial break. When we got back to the match, LA Knight was able to hit an AA and a burning hammer, a move that is usually banned, for a long two count before they cut to another commercial break.

GUNTHER took some more offense from LA Knight, including a suplex off a reversal. Fans were all behind Knight, but then GUNTHER nailed a T-Rex dropkick, but LA Knight countered a powerbomb into a DDT. Then, Knight climbed the top rope and hit an elbow drop for a near fall.

Near the end, GUNTHER hit two splashes on LA Knight for a near fall. GUNTHER powerbombed Knight after that, but the Mega Star kicked out of that as well. LA Knight hit a BFT out of nowhere, but GUNTHER got his foot on the bottom rope. Finally, GUNTHER got his sleeper hold in, and he wore Knight down with elbow strikes until he got Knight down with the hold still on. Knight tried to fight out of it, and he got GUNTHER on his shoulders, but then the Ring General pummeled him down with more elbows and then he got a crossface on. Finally, LA Knight tapped out, giving the win to GUNTHER.

In the semifinal round, LA Knight defeated Jey Uso, and Gunther beat Solo Sikoa. Those results set up the final match between Knight and Gunther. This was quite a match to close out SmackDown, and it will set up an amazing final match for John Cena in Washington, DC.

Whatâ€s your take on John Cenaâ€s final opponent? Who do you think will win at Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event? Let us know what you think in the comments section!

December 5, 2025 10:04 pm

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Cody Rhodes isnâ€t done making headlines on WWE SmackDown. After dealing with Drew McIntyreâ€s unauthorized arrival at the arena and a backstage brawl, Cody showed up later in the show with a message that could change the game for two rising stars.

Backstage, Ricky Saints and Oba Femi were summoned to Nick Aldis†office, unsure of what was going on. Cody entered, much calmer than earlier in the night, and laid out a massive challenge. He told them that whoever wins their upcoming match at Saturdayâ€s Deadline will face him at Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event.

With WWE building toward John Cenaâ€s final match and everything heating up between Cody and Drew, the winner of this match wonâ€t just be stepping into the ring with Rhodes—theyâ€ll be stepping into a huge opportunity to elevate their name on one of the most important weekends in recent WWE memory.

Codyâ€s challenge adds even more intrigue to next weekâ€s card. For Ricky Saints, this is a shot to prove himself against one of WWEâ€s top stars. For Oba Femi, itâ€s a chance to make a serious statement on a national stage. Either way, Rhodes just threw gasoline on what could be a breakout storyline for one of these young names.

Do you think Saints or Femi is ready to go toe-to-toe with Cody Rhodes? Who should get the spotlight next Saturday? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let us know where you stand.

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Multiple top stars from “WWE NXT” are backstage at “WWE SmackDown” on Friday night as the show is set to go live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. According to PWInsider Elite, those stars include Oba Femi, Trick Williams, and Sol Ruca.

The outlet didn’t confirm just why the former NXT Champions and the former Women’s North American Champion are at the show ahead of “NXT’s” Deadline premium live event on Saturday, which will emanate from the Boeing Center in San Antonio, Texas. However, John Cena announced that Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, which will feature his final match, will also be a showcase of “NXT” talent against main roster stars. There was no initial report that Femi, Williams, and Ruca were brought in to set up angles or matches for the show in Washington, DC, however.

Cena previously announced the competitors for both the men’s and women’s Iron Survivor matches at Deadline, which include Ruca on the women’s side. Williams was defeated by Myles Borne and lost the opportunity to enter the match. Femi will compete against NXT Champion Ricky Saints for the chance to become a two-time holder of the developmental brand’s gold.Â

“The Never Seen 17” has been adamant that “NXT” talent should be featured along the way to his final match. “NXT” star Je’Von Evans also had the opportunity to compete to become Cena’s final opponent, but lost in the “Last Time is Now” tournament in the first round to GUNTHER.

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As Friday Night SmackDown goes live from the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, a surprising development is unfolding behind the scenes—multiple top NXT stars are backstage.

According to PWInsider Elite, NXT stars Oba Femi, Trick Williams, and Sol Ruca have all been spotted backstage ahead of the December 5 show. While their exact role tonight hasnâ€t been confirmed, the timing is hard to ignore.

Cena recently announced that Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event on December 13—his retirement match—would also feature NXT talent vs. main roster stars, hinting that his final chapter might double as a platform for the next generation. Tonightâ€s SmackDown may lay the groundwork for that.

Lineup for WWE SmackDown on December 5, 2025:

• Last Time Is Now Tournament Final: GUNTHER vs. LA Knight
• United States Title Open Challenge: Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. ???
• Non-Title Match: Jade Cargill vs. Alba Fyre
• Alexa Bliss vs. Kairi Sane
• Cody Rhodes appears
• Solo Sikoa addresses the Wyatt Sicks attack

Are you hoping to see NXT stars face off against Cena and other main roster legends on December 13? Drop your dream match ideas or predictions in the comments below—weâ€d love to hear who you think should step up next.

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The former Dakota Kai is getting back into the ring.

Since her release from WWE back in May, Kai has been on a break from wrestling. That will be ending soon, though, with Pro Wrestling Eve announcing that Kai will be competing at its Wrestle Queendom VIII show on March 8, 2026. She is being billed as “Charlie” and is set to challenge AEW star Kris Statlander for the Eve International Championship.

Sunday 8th March 2026 | International Womenâ€s Day | Wrestle Queendom 8

Kris Statlander (c) Vs Charlie (fka Dakota Kai)
– EVE Imternation Championship

ðŸŽŸï¸ pic.twitter.com/SmQC5eVLAV

— Will Ospreay • ウィル・オスプレイ (@WillOspreay) December 5, 2025

Wrestle Kingdom VIII is happening on International Women’s Day in 2026. The show will be held in London, England at Indigo at The O2.

It remains to be seen if this will be Kai’s first match back or if she will be taking more bookings before then. During a stream on her “charliegirl” Twitch channel this September, Kai said she missed wrestling and would be returning after taking some time away.

“I miss wrestling, you guys. Weâ€re going to get back into it,†she said. “Itâ€s just one of those things where itâ€s been nice to have a little bit of a break. Iâ€ve been doing it for a long time, longer than the last seven years I was with WWE, you know what I mean? So it is nice to take a step back… but I really do miss it.â€

Along with streaming on Twitch, Kai co-hosts a podcast with WWE’s Zelina Vega.

Pro Wrestling Eve is a UK-based women’s wrestling promotion that has existed since 2010. Will Ospreay is involved with helping the promotion behind the scenes.

Wrestle Queendom is Eve’s biggest event. The name of the show is a takeoff of NJPW’s annual Wrestle Kingdom spectacular.

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Joseph Currier

Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.

In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated’s wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.

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John Cena believes he gave his all during his heel run.

During a recent interview with The Ringerâ€s Bill Simmons, John Cena discussed his heel run during the first half of his retirement tour. When asked if he regretted how it turned out, Cena said:

“Not at all! What is perfect? Hereâ€s what I do know. Perfect is never achievable. I think thatâ€s a suckerâ€s chase. When I look back on it, could I have given any more than I did? Not a bit. I overprepared, I tried to go to every corner of my emotional well-being, and the cool thing is, when the audience began to turn, we turned.

“So, they helped it out,†John Cena continued, “and that dynamic was a little bit ahead of schedule for Cody and I, but it made for a great showing for the summer. So, you choose, again, anecdotes, make New Day a bunch of heels, theyâ€re aspirational pastors, but theyâ€re bad guys. The crowd booed them, and then they loved them. Nobody wanted to change them.

Speaking further, John Cena noted that though the heel run didnâ€t turn out as expected, it doesnâ€t mean that he didnâ€t give his all.

“‘Letâ€s try John like this, I know we have limited time, but letâ€s do something really big.†Okay, it didnâ€t work, didnâ€t mean I didnâ€t give my all.â€

John Cena Shared His Post-Match WWE Retirement Plans

Ahead of his final match at Saturday Nightâ€s Main Event on December 13, John Cena appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Apart from the other things he addressed, he also revealed his plans for the night of his retirement and the day after.

“That night, Iâ€m going to spend a lot of time with the folks I love, who I connect strongly with. I think the next day, I hope to wake up hungover.â€

Gunther or LA Knight will be John Cenaâ€s final opponent as the two superstars are set to collide in the final of the Last Time is Now Tournament on tonightâ€s episode of WWE SmackDown.

Read More: WWE and John Cena Sued Over Sample In Entrance Theme Song

If you use the quotes from this article, please credit the original source and give an H/T to WrestleZone for the transcription.

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While WWE WrestleMania 42 is still some time away, plans for the show are already under consideration.

One of the biggest topics surrounding the next Showcase of the Immortals is the likelihood of Seth Rollins being a part of the match card. The Visionary has been out of action due to an injury he suffered at Crown Jewel when facing Cody Rhodes. Since then, he was written out of the scene in the way of him being ousted from the Vision.

The appearance of the masked man at Survivor Series: WarGames had also raised questions about him being Seth Rollins. However, the matter is still unclear.

According to a recent report from Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Rollins could likely be at WrestleMania 42. The report claims that while Cody Rhodes vs Roman Reigns is being seriously considered even if it didn’t happen at WrestleMania, Seth Rollins could be paired up with Bron Breakker to continue the storyline of the Vision.

Seth Rollins Has Mentioned His Recovery Timeline Amidst WWE Return Rumors

According to Seth Rollins, his recovery timeline is on track with what was expected.

Speaking on The Rich Eisen Show, the former WWE World Heavyweight Champion said:

“Weâ€re on track. Weâ€re on track. I got the brace off, like last week. Middle of the last week. So itâ€s nice to walk around like a regular person. I know thereâ€s a lot of skepticism in your question TJ, but you can consult my surgeon.â€

“I am feeling alright, I am feeling alright. Itâ€s nice to be able to get around without the brace. Iâ€ll say that. But yeah we are on track, weâ€re on track.â€

Whether this means that Rollins will be back before WrestleMania 42 or not, remains to be seen.

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When he was coming up in WWE, there was no bigger influence on John Cena than Vince McMahon.

Cena — who is now just over a week away from retirement — spoke about his WWE career on a new episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast and was asked to name who his biggest mentor was when he was starting out. Cena named McMahon, saying McMahon seemed like the only person who truly had good explanations for why things in the wrestling business worked the way they did.

“Vince, without a doubt,” Cena responded. “He was just really kind with his time. He would explain things. Here is a person making a lot of, if not all, the choices. I am always in search for a good explanation — and he would always give one. And in giving the good explanation, you would get a nugget. And because Vince had such fluency in every avenue of the business, a lot of performers are worried about the stunts. I think one of the benefits of doing 220 shows a year is pace. And if you obsess over the physical aspect of the business, you might get exhausted. You might burn out. I love the technical aspect, but then I also became obsessed with the theatrical aspect.

“And then I also became obsessed… I became interested in the business. And not my business, [not] like, ‘How can I take from this place to make as much as I can?’ The business. How do we get more people in the arena? And the only person it seemed like that had a good explanation for a lot of those questions was Vince. And that allowed just a wealth of information to be dumped on me.

“I had full faith and trust in him. I think he had full faith and trust in me. He wasn’t afraid to try, which is another thing I learned from him. Like, do not be afraid to swing big. And do not be afraid to fail. Be accountable for your failures.”

McMahon resigned from WWE in January 2024 after the lawsuit Janel Grant filed against him and the company. The lawsuit, which remains ongoing, accuses McMahon of physical and emotional abuse, sexual assault, and sex trafficking. In the wake of the lawsuit, Cena has spoken about still loving McMahon and valuing their friendship while saying he does not downplay the allegations McMahon is facing.

Simmons asked Cena if he thought WWE could ever survive and thrive without McMahon.

“Of all the things he did and of all the things he taught me, one piece that was very important is that no one is irreplaceable,” Cena said. “And thatâ€s the truth. The one thing that needs to stand firm is the consumer’s belief in what we do. And Vince has so much knowledge.

“I think whatâ€s happened is unfortunate because you have this individual with so much depth of field who can still offer things, and we no longer can pull from that well, but it doesnâ€t mean we donâ€t have able-bodied folks who canâ€t put on creative programming.

“I never wanted Vince to go, because I love him and I know how much he loves the business. But he taught me, like, ‘Weâ€re all going to go.’ All of us. And he taught me that not only through saying, through his actions. I was there the day he fired ‘Stone Cold.’ Missed a date, got to go. His biggest attraction. ‘I got to let people know this isnâ€t okay.†So, things happen. ‘We got to let people know this isn’t okay. It’s time for you to go.’ Everybody goes, man. Everybody goes. So, because of his words — yeah. Yeah.”

Cena described WWE as a place where the key backstage figures are more accessible now. Not because McMahon was not accessible himself, but because McMahon’s roles have been split up among different people.

Our Bryan Alvarez reported this week that it is looking “increasingly unlikely” that McMahon will be in attendance for John Cena’s final match on WWE Saturday Night’s Main Event in Washington, D.C. on December 13. Cena’s opponent for his retirement match will either be Gunther or LA Knight.

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Joseph Currier

Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.

In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated’s wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.

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Kevin Owens may be sidelined from WWE action for now, but thatâ€s not stopping him from enjoying life—or making epic fan-favorite meetups.

Home Alone legend Macaulay Culkin revealed on Instagram that he recently hung out with Kevin Owens at one of his movie screenings. Yes, really—Kevin met Kevin. The caption from Culkin said it all:

“Just a couple of Kevins. Thanks for coming to the show last night @officialfightowensfight. It was great meeting you and your family. Say happy birthday to Owen for me. Get well soon dude.â€

The post also included a photo of Culkin alongside a smiling Owens—sporting a casual look but clearly on the mend from his neck surgery earlier this year.

While Owens has been mostly quiet about his recovery timeline, this unexpected appearance and wholesome shoutout from Culkin is a nice morale boost for fans who are missing KO on WWE TV. It also follows Owens†recent video from the WWE Performance Center showing him getting back into shape—no words, just hustle.

WWE hasnâ€t confirmed when Owens will return to the ring, but moments like this show heâ€s out there, living life and slowly stepping back into the limelight.

What do you think about this crossover between Kevin Owens and Macaulay Culkin? Should WWE do something with it down the line? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

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