John Cena’s retirement tour is nearing its conclusion, but fans still reflect on the matches that never happened. One of the most talked-about dream bouts was a final showdown with Rob Van Dam, and it turns out that WWE had serious discussions to make it happen.

During an appearance on Inside the Ring, RVD confirmed that he was in talks with WWE about joining Cena’s farewell run. According to him, there was genuine momentum for the match, and it seemed likely that fans would get the long-awaited rematch. Unfortunately, that plan fell apart when RVD suffered an injury that took him out of the picture.

“Let me tell you this, yeah, I wanted to be one of the return matches for John Cena on his retirement tour. I was talking to them, and there was a lot of interest. Without giving away too many details, we were probably going to do it. And then I broke my heels. Everything happens for a reason though, so let’s look at it that way.”

While the match never materialized, the idea of Cena and RVD sharing the ring one last time remains one of WWE’s biggest “what if” scenarios. A farewell clash between the two icons would have been a fitting way to celebrate their legacies, but circumstances kept it from becoming a reality.