WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long has proposed that Ron Killings should be the individual to defeat John Cena for the Undisputed WWE Championship. The suggestion comes as Cena navigates his final year in professional wrestling while holding the company’s principal title as its top heel.
During an appearance on Sportskeeda’s The Wrestling Time Machine, Long presented his reasoning, tying the decision to Cena’s impending departure at the end of 2025.
Here’s the thing I’ll say. I want to say first of all, to John Cena for being the guy that will come on and work with R-Truth. I did hear, I don’t know, that he was one of the guys that kind of spoke up for him in the back after he got released. For John Cena to want to work with him, I think that’s great. What I’d like to see, if they really want to do it, Cena says he’s leaving, he’s retiring anyway. Let Truth take the belt off him and make Truth the champion.
Long’s comments add a new dimension to the current on-screen rivalry between the two performers. Killings attacked Cena twice on last week’s edition of SmackDown, leading to a singles match being scheduled for tonight’s broadcast. The conflict is a key component of Cena’s farewell tour, which was officially announced in July 2024 and will conclude in December 2025.
The WWE Hall of Famer also acknowledged the professional respect between the two, noting Cena’s willingness to work with Killings. This aligns with reports that Cena had advocated for Killings internally prior to his previous release from the company. A championship victory for Killings would represent a significant elevation for the veteran performer.
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