4 Predictions for WWE SmackDown Live: July 4, 2017

The 16-Time World Champion Returns Home

At WrestleMania 33, John Cena took part in a mixed-tag match alongside Nikki Bella. By the conclusion of the contest, the two had made short work of another couple; The Miz and Maryse. As they celebrated inside of the ring, Cena decided to make a huge leap of faith. Proposing in front of the WrestleMania audience, he embraced his future wife in an emotional moment.

Since that historic night, Cena has been gone due to filming responsibilities. This has been a rather tough obstacle for WWE to overcome, as ratings and attendance figures have gone down in recent times. Knowing this, the company came to the conclusion that Cena should be a “free agent”. That means he can go to and from each show to help increase both audiences. Few know what the plans are for the 16-time world champion, but whatever his current journey is, it’s set to start on tonight’s SmackDown Live.

When looking at the crop of available talent, it’s hard to picture who Cena may be feuding with in the near future. Many of the top stars in the company are participating in other rivalries at the moment. There isn’t a clear way to insert him into these feuds, so WWE may wait until after the Battleground and Great Balls of Fire events for him to return to action. Once the time comes for him to wrestle, there are really two opponents who make sense at the present time; Jinder Mahal and Samoa Joe.

Seeing as how both of these men have gained considerable momentum as of late, a feud with Cena would help to continue that trend. Ultimately, the decision lies with those who run things behind the WWE curtain.