John Cena has been absent from in-ring action for over 2 years now, and fans have all but given up on him being part of it like he was before. A dive into the acting career and his increasing interest in the film industry made fans think Cena’s days as a wrestler are over.
However, we may have new information that could change everything. In a recent report, Dave Melter of Wrestling Observer noted that WWE was “in talks” for a John Cena return on July 16 this year, sending fans on a frenzy.
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ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 31: John Cena wins his match against the Miz at the WWE Monday Night Raw Supershow Halloween event at the Philips Arena on October 31, 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Moses Robinson/Getty Images)
July 16 marks the first episode of SmackDown which will be hosted in front of a live audience ever since the pandemic era began. WWE wants to greet fans back with a banger of a name in Cena, and the company will try to pull this card out.
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A return on the first live SmackDown show could mean bigger things. Meltzer added that there was also talk of having Roman Reigns face John Cena in the main event of SummerSlam this year!
The same was hinted at by Andrew Zarian of Matt Men Podcast. Although not yet confirmed in any way, we are seeing an increasing move towards Cena as the main pull.
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MIAMI GARDENS, FL – APRIL 1: John Cena looks on before his match against Dwayne ”The Rock” Johnson during WrestleMania XXVIII at Sun Life Stadium on April 1, 2012 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Ron Elkman/Sports Imagery/Getty Images)
Normally, we would hear other names in the mix but if the past couple of weeks have indicated anything, it’s a Cena return. The 16-time World Champion also stated that he wanted a return to WWE, and it seems as if Vince McMahon has taken him up on that immediately.
WWE plans on a houseful with John Cena vs Roman Reigns
The return of live fans would be the perfect moment to bring Cena back, and he is currently the only name big enough to take on and even dethrone Roman Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship.
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NEW YORK, NY – AUGUST 23: John Cena prepares for his fight against Seth Rollins at the WWE SummerSlam 2015 at Barclays Center of Brooklyn on August 23, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by JP Yim/Getty Images)
Why John Cena? The answer is simple- WWE wants to sell out the arena. The company has booked the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada for SummerSlam and wants to pull out all the stops. A big name like John Cena joining Roman Reigns for the main event would surely be a houseful, exactly what WWE will be aiming for.
Update: 8/21 is currently “provisional” according to a source. Pacquiao fight wasn’t official until 5/21, no updates since on document being circulated. 8/22 & Sat 8/7 shown as “holds”. WWE’s preference is SAT. However being honest, I’m not entirely sure where it stand as of now.
— WrestleVotes (@WrestleVotes) May 27, 2021
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WWE has not confirmed the date of SummerSlam yet due to the announcement of Manny Pacquiao fighting in Vegas on August 21. As reported by WrestleVotes, the “hold” dates are 8/22 or 8/7. However, we should receive an official confirmation on these soon.
