“The Last Time Is Now” tournament to determine the final ever opponent for John Cena in WWE kicks off next Monday night on WWE Raw in his hometown of Boston, Massachusetts.
But not everyone is excited about that fact.
During the latest installment of the popular pro wrestling program Busted Open Radio, WWE and TNA Wrestling Hall of Fame legend Bubba Ray Dudley (Bully Ray) of The Dudley Boyz (Team 3D) explained why he is not a fan of “The Last Time Is Now” tournament.
Featured below are some of the highlights from the episode where the WWE LFG cast member touches on this topic with his thoughts
On how John Cena might not want the same final opponent that WWE wants: “I am sure that John Cena, in his heart of hearts, has somebody that he wants to see be the guy. The chosen one, the handpicked one. Whether or not this is actually going to be allowed, I don’t really know. I think John has been a big player in who his opponents have been up until this point. But this is going to determine, or this has the opportunity to determine, somebody’s definitive future in this company. So I’m thinking, what would happen if John and the WWE were really on opposite ends of the spectrum. I.E., John’s like, ‘I really think that this person should be my last match.’ And the higher up, Hunter and Nick Khan are like, ‘John, this is the person who is our future.’”
On why he is not a fan of “The Last Time Is Now” tournament: “It’s so funny. I am, I am not a fan of the tournament idea. And I’d be willing to bet a dollar that if Vince McMahon knew about this tournament, he would be destroying his own home. ‘My God. A f***ing tournament‘ Vince hated tournaments. Now I did not share Vince’s opinion on tournaments. But in this case, I’m not a fan of the tournament unless there is somebody involved in this tournament that we don’t see coming. But they’re gonna have to wrestle in the first round. So we’re gonna see them coming. I wanted this to be built up. I wanted the anticipation to be built up. Especially if you already know who’s going to win the tournament? You can build up the anticipation. ’cause whoever loses in the first round, second round, third round? They’re just going by the wayside. They’re not gonna be able to say, ‘Well, I was in the John Cena tournament.’ It’s not like getting a bronze medal in the Olympics where you still get to stand on the podium, you still get a bronze medal, and your country’s flag still gets to fly high. It’s like, ‘You lost in the first round in the John Cena tournament! Brush your hair.’”
In related news, top stars from AEW such as Chris Jericho and Adam Copeland are rumored for “The Last Time Is Now” tournament, and apparently WWE has gone out of their way to make sure those rumors are making the rounds. For the full story, check out the article here at WrestlingHeadlines.com by clicking here.
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com on November 10, 2025, for live WWE Raw results coverage from Boston, MA., including the start of “The Last Time Is Now” tournament.
The Last Time is Now Tournament kicks off NEXT WEEK on RAW!
Who will be John Cena’s final opponent? 👀 pic.twitter.com/EZeInvnnTv
— WWE (@WWE) November 4, 2025
(H/T to 411Mania.com for transcribing the above quotes.)