7 Feuds John Cena Must Have Before in-Ring Retirement from WWE

John Cena is still one of the biggest stars on the WWE roster, but he has transitioned into a part-time role in recent years and may even be considering retiring from the ring to pursue his acting career, according to an interview with ESPN. 

Whether the 41-year-old leaves altogether or returns on occasion like Batista has over the years is something only he knows, but if he decides to call it a career, there are some potential feuds WWE should consider before he departs.

Despite Superstars such as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar stepping into key main event positions over the past few years, Cena is still the biggest stepping stone for a Superstar. 

Beating him is guaranteed to help anyone rise through the ranks. If his last few years have proved anything, it's that the veteran is willing to put other people over if it serves the story.

This article will look at seven feuds Cena needs to have before he hangs up his jorts for good.

Roman Reigns and Cena have been in the ring as both opponents and partners, but two stars of their caliber deserve a WrestleMania feud.

The Big Dog is the heir apparent to Cena's position at the top of the WWE mountain, but before he can be considered the best, he has to defeat the biggest star at the most important event of the year.

Passing the torch is something Cena has yet to do. He has put over other Superstars, but he is still the measuring stick to which every Superstar is compared. 

WrestleMania is made for matches like this. It won't be the most technical bout on the card, but you can bet they would pull out all the stops to make sure it was the most memorable.

Drew McIntyre has grown into a much different wrestler than he was during his first run with WWE, and his growth has put him in the category of Superstars who deserve a long feud with a guy like Cena.

The Scottish Terminator has been waiting patiently for the right opportunity to come along, but he has been forced to sit back while stars like Rollins occupy the main event scene.

WWE has something special with McIntyre. Not everyone can leave the company only to return a few years later as a changed man.

This would be another situation in which Cena putting over his opponent would be best for business, but in the end, a good match against the 16-time champion would help the Scot reach the next level in his career.

For two Superstars with almost 40 years in WWE between them, you would think Cena and Jeff Hardy would have been in the ring together as opponents more than once or twice.

Both men working as babyfaces for the majority of their time with the company has kept them apart for most of their careers, and it's about time that changed.

WWE doesn't worry as much about heels vs. babyfaces as it used to. It's still the basis for most feuds, but having two good guys face each other is not as uncommon as it once was.

Not only would a feud between Hardy and Cena be entertaining, but it would also be one of the few times the company could pair two veterans and not have it feel like a repeat of something we have already seen. We don't get enough of that in WWE.

Finn Balor has had a resurgence in recent months. His career stalled a bit when he was forced to give up the Universal Championship due to an injury the night after SummerSlam 2016, but he has been coming back strong.

A few big pay-per-view victories and an Intercontinental Championship win have put the Irishman back on the right track, but if he ever wants to be a true main event player, he needs to step into the ring with Cena again.

They have been in the ring together before, but it was always as part of a bigger storyline. They deserve a proper feud where their rivalry is the main focus above everything else.

It could be as simple as Balor wanting to prove himself, or WWE could come up with something more personal for them to fight over, but it wouldn't matter in the end. All the WWE Universe would care about would be the final match.

We saw the potential they had on the January 17 episode of Raw. Two performers on the level of Cena and Balor would be guaranteed to tear the house down at any PPV, even without a title on the line. 

When Bobby Lashley first left WWE in 2008, he seemed like he was on his way to becoming WWE champion.

He had successful runs as the United States and ECW champion, and he had high-profile matches against the likes of Umaga, Big Show, Rob Van Dam and Cena.

When he was selected to be in the Battle of the Billionaires at WrestleMania 23, everyone assumed the next step in his career would be becoming WWE champion.

He received two opportunities to challenge for the WWE Championship, but Cena won both matches. WWE could easily craft a storyline that shows Lashley being angry at the veteran all these years later for holding him back.

With The All Mighty working as a heel, he and Cena would be able to have a real feud without the crowd having to pick between two babyfaces as it did at The Great American Bash 2007.

Whenever The Miz brags about everything he has done in WWE, the one thing he always takes the most pride in is his win over Cena in the main event of WrestleMania 27.

It's been almost eight years, and that match still defines The A-Lister's career. It's time he had something else to lord over his opponents, and it should be another win over Cena.

The Leader of the Cenation might be the most visible star WWE has today, but The Miz is arguably the harder working utility player in recent years.

He does tons of press, appears on WWE's various reality shows, makes appearances in films and television shows and still manages to have some great matches on a regular basis.

On top of all that, The Miz is one of the best mic workers on the roster and has been for quite some time. If there was ever a time for him to have another shot at Cena, it's now.

Randy Orton is to Cena what The Rock was to Steve Austin. They are career-long rivals who have been in the ring together enough to know each other just as well as they know themselves.

They came up together through Ohio Valley Wrestling and accomplished many of the same feats over the years. They have 30 world titles between them in the same company, which is something no two other rivals can claim. 

They have headlined numerous pay-per-views together, but it has been a while since The Viper and Cena engaged in a meaningful feud.

If Cena decides to step away from WWE, it would almost be poetic for Orton to be his last opponent. It would be a great final chapter to a story they have been writing together for 17 years. 

Who would you like to see Cena face before his eventual retirement?