The Last Time is Now Tournament Final: Gunther vs. LA Knight to Decide John Cena’s Opponent, Match Preview

December 13, 2025, will mark the end of an era when John Cena will bid adieu to WWE. He has already been part of his last PLE on ESPN and has only one appearance left in WWE. This appearance will be at Saturday Night’s Main Event on December 13, 2025. His opponent for his last match will be decided tonight on SmackDown in the Final of The Last Time is Now tournament.

This will be an opportunity of a lifetime for the two finalists of the Last Time is Now tournament. 16 men participated in the tournament, a star-studded affair that included wrestlers like Gunther, Jey Uso, LA Knight, Sheamus, and Finn Balor. John Cena’s retirement tour is nearing its end, and the spotlight will be on his opponent, whether it’s Gunther or LA Knight.

The Final Countdown: Gunther vs. LA Knight

Friday Night SmackDown tonight will reach its critical juncture on the road to the retirement of the GOAT, John Cena. The Ring General, Gunther, will face The Megastar, LA Knight, to decide the #1 contender for John Cena’s final match. The stakes could not be higher as the winner would get an opportunity of a lifetime, an honor to face John Cena in his retirement match on December 13 at SNME.

The path for Gunther in the Last Time is Now tournament started against NXT’s sensation, Je’Von Evans. His victory against Je’Von Evans took him to the quarterfinals, where he defeated Carmelo Hayes to enter the semifinals. He defeated Solo Sikoa in a hard-fought match to reach the tournament final. Gunther solidified his stature as the tournament’s favorite

.@RealLAKnight CAN see you, @JohnCena! 👀 pic.twitter.com/X8qCrl9tiy
— WWE (@WWE) December 3, 2025

LA Knight, on the other hand, defeated Jack Ryder to enter the quarterfinals. He then beat The Miz in the quarterfinals and Jey Uso in the semifinals to reach the final. He, too, proved that momentum is on his side. Gunther’s victory would put John Cena against a brutal force in WWE, while LA Knight’s victory would put him against the voice of the people, a wrestler whose meteoric rise mirrors that of John Cena.

Image Credit: WWE.com

Friday Night SmackDown

Gunther

Gunther vs LA Knight

John Cena

John Cena’s Retirement

LA Knight

The Last Time is Now Tournament

WWE

WWE SmackDown

Ashish Negi

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wrestling

I am Ashish Negi, and I work as a WWE and NFL writer at The Playoffs. I have 5 years of experience in content writing, and I have written in different domains like Real Estate, but I found my love while writing in sports. I love watching sports and have been a fan of WWE and cricket. I got an opportunity to write full-time on WWE and NFL here, so following the footstep of my hero John Cena, I turn heel on my last company