The sun is about to set on the legendary WWE career of its Franchise Player, John Cena. The Never Seen 17 has only two dates left on his farewell tour that culminate with his final match at Saturday Night's Main Event at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., on December 13. However, before that, Cena has a significant stop to make at a major WWE Premium Live Event.Cena will defend his newly won WWE Intercontinental Championship against Dominik Mysterio at Survivor Series PLE, which will be his last in-ring appearance at the event. The Cenation Leader dethroned Mysterio on the November 10 edition of RAW to add the missing piece of the Grand Slam and claim the accolade.However, when it came to Survivor Series, WWE could have used that opportunity to let Cena face a different competitor, since Dominik Mysterio had already had his chance and delivered a fantastic showdown. Moreover, that choice could have been a former AEW star who is currently thriving in the Stamford-based promotion. Here are the top three former AEW stars who could have been better opponents for John Cena at the upcoming Survivor Series event.#3. Ricky SaintsRicky Saints has made a significant impact since signing with WWE this year and joining its developmental territory, WWE NXT. In only a few months, The Absolute has won the NXT North American and NXT Championships and is one of the top stars of the brand. At the same time, John Cena has been advocating for opportunities for NXT stars, with multiple exhibition matches set to take place at Saturday Night's Main Event, where Cena will take the final bow. Witnessing the rise of Saints, he could have been a formidable choice over Dominik Mysterio at Survivor Series, and the match itself would have taken his popularity to the next level in WWE. #2. PentaPenta has been thriving as one of the top fixtures on Monday Night RAW since debuting for the company in January 2025. The masked superstar has been pursuing the WWE Intercontinental title for a long time, but has remained unsuccessful. Despite that, his fandom and captivating presence have been a sight to witness in WWE. Therefore, a match against the 'Greatest of All Time' for the IC title at Survivor Series could have been a stepping stone for the former AEW star to cement his status as a legitimate top star of the Stamford-based promotion.#1. RusevJohn Cena and Rusev have a history in WWE. The duo had a stellar feud on the road to WrestleMania 31 in 2015. At the Grandest Stage of Them All, Cena dethroned him to win the United States title. The Bulgarian Brute could have had a direct shot at Cena at Survivor Series PLE for the Intercontinental title instead of going through 'The Last Time is Now' tournament. The match would have been an apt place for Rusev to exact revenge on John Cena and leave him without a title heading into his final match at WWE Saturday Night's Main Event.