The leader of the Cenation is back! John Cena has once again made his return to World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) and it seems that this time his stay will be for much longer.
Cena made his return to the WWE on the Sept. 1, 2023 episode of Friday Night SmackDown. His return came after the company made the announcement that he has signed on to appear at seven consecutive episodes of “SmackDown”, starting on Sept. 1 until Oct. 27. Additionally, Cena took on the role of the host for the Sept. 2, Payback pay-per-view.
The agreement comes as a result of the current SAG-AFTRA strikes which have put Hollywood productions on hold until a fair labor agreement is reached. It is unknown how much longer the strike will last. However, rather than sitting at home, Cena has decided to take this time off to return to his second home, the WWE universe.
Cena’s loyalty to the WWE is unmatched, often crediting them for getting his foot in the door to Hollywood. Despite becoming one of the most sought after actors, he has never forgotten where he came from. Whenever possible, Cena will make time to return to his first passion, professional wrestling.
The question is, what will his return mean for the company? Is Cena back for one last run or is the 16-time World Champion looking to add another reign into his legacy?
One possibility could be that Cena may be back to assist more of the company’s rising stars to make a name for themselves. As we just saw at this past WrestleMania, Cena came back for a match with Austin Theory. Getting a match against him is an accomplishment in itself, but Theory was able to steal the win in an upset victory.
Throughout his career, facing Cena was thought of as a “curse,” as a match against him would automatically mean a loss. With his career winding down however, there seems to have been a change recently. In some of the matches since his last stint as a full-time WWE superstar, he has taken losses to Bray Wyatt, Theory, and Roman Reigns.
Without a doubt, a win against the legend can help kickstart the career of any talent that the company may see potential in.
One possible candidate for a future match could be Greyson Waller. Waller recently ruined Cena’s appearance at WWE’s “Money in the Bank” pay-per-view, where Cena came out to push for the company to bring “WrestleMania” to London, England. Since he ended up on the receiving end of an Attitude Adjustment, Cena’s finishing move, one can assume there must be unfinished business between the two.
Perhaps a match against LA Knight might be in the plans for the future? Knight has quickly become a fan favorite over the past few months, but has yet to reach the next level as a top star.
Cena recently became involved in the match at Payback between Knight and a former rival of his, The Miz, serving as the special guest referee. Despite conflict between the two during the match itself, Knight gained a victory and a sign of respect from the legend. A match alongside or against Cena could certainly elevate Knight’s status and bring him to the top of the card.
However, there is still an accolade he has yet to achieve, winning the Intercontinental Championship title. The title is currently in the hands of “The Ring General” Gunther, who has just recently beaten the record for the longest reign at 459 days as champion. Gunther has had a dominant reign, beating any obstacle that gets in the way of this historic run as champion.
Cena has collected almost every major championship, including the tag-team, United States, and world heavyweight championship titles. Winning the Intercontinental title would finally add his name to the list of Grand Slam champions. Perhaps Cena may choose to pay a visit to Monday Night RAW to challenge Gunther to a championship match?
Regardless of what Cena ends up accomplishing inside the ring, perhaps the best thing to come out of this run will happen outside. In partnership between himself and the Make-A-Wish foundation, Cena will be hosting children and their families at each of his scheduled shows. No matter how long his visit lasts, Cena will make sure to bring joy to as many fans as possible.
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