A new year offers new opportunities for John Cena upon an inevitable return to WWE. The question is … how can WWE re-introduce him to audiences?
It is interesting to think about where John Cena could fit within a 2020 WWE roster. There was once a time some years ago where it was hard to imagine a WWE without The Face That Ran The Place for a decade. But thankfully, WWE has managed to create a tremendously deep and talented main event picture without having Cena at the center of it.
The last couple years, as he’s focused more on sustaining a movie career in Hollywood and slowly transitioning into a part time wrestling role, his time in the ring has become far more limited compared to his workhorse years.
Even after we learned some weeks back that Cena has been campaigning for a “substantial” role at WrestleMania, we also learning that a Mania in-ring return seems unlikely due to filming The Suicide Squad. However, even if we don’t see a match for Cena at WrestleMania, that does not mean that a WWE in-ring return is not possible or imminent for later in the year.
At this point in time, the question is not so much if will John Cena return to the WWE in 2020. It is not even so much a matter of when or where he could return. The bigger question right now is how will he return? Let’s go over some hypothetical scenarios to bring Big Match John back for a, well, big match.
Chasing Championship #17
Between 2015 and 2017, John Cena made it known that is next big goal was to tie Ric Flair’s record for holding the most World Championships in wrestling history. It was not until the 2017 Royal Rumble that he was finally able to reach that sweet 16th WWE Championship win.
Of course, he then went on to lose the title just over two weeks later at Elimination Chamber, but that is neither here nor there. The big and important part is that Cena etched himself a spot in the history books as a 16-time World Champion.
As badly as he wanted to reach that 16th title win, how badly could he want to surpass Flair’s record with an unprecedented 17th title win? Is he willing to risk being “changed” by The Fiend? Would he risk his health by tangoing with The Conqueror, Brock Lesnar, one more time?
Some of the most interesting storylines for Cena came when the character was at his hungriest. Look no further than stories where he chased that 16th World Title, or even when he desperately wanted a Mania match with The Undertaker, as prime examples. The prospect of Cena desperately wanting to achieve one last big title run before he hangs up his boots for good has potential to be captivating.
Who’s NeXT?
When John Cena made his long awaited return to Raw back in 2016 at the very beginning of the New Era, he boldly stated that “the future must go through me.” Since then, a select few WWE Superstars like AJ Styles and Roman Reigns have challenged Cena’s assertion. Needless to say, getting a win over the 16-time World Champ did wonders for their careers, helping them become staples of the WWE main event picture.
A returning John Cena could do the same for a 2020 return, although, rather than challenge a member of the Raw or SmackDown roster, he can make a trip down to NXT.
John Cena has made only one appearance in NXT and it was way back in 2013 when the brand was still rebuilding itself as a developmental brand. Seven years later, the black and gold brand has evolved into something more of a global phenomenon distributed across television screens across the world courtesy of USA Network.
Now that NXT is being positioned as an official third brand not only equal to Raw and SmackDown, but housing the next generation of future talents worthy of carrying WWE into the next generation, Cena could make a trip down there to see what the show is all cracked up about. In turn, Cena could also take the time to put over a Superstar down there and give someone a big rub.
Chase the Intercontinental Championship
WWE World Heavyweight Championship. United States Championship. Tag Team Championship. You name it. John Cena has won every single major men’s title there is to win in WWE. Well, almost every title.
The only title which John Cena has yet to hold is the Intercontinental Championship. It is a belt that prevents the Hollywood superstar from being both a Grand Slam Champion and an official WWE Triple Crown winner. For a man who has practically done it all in WWE, this is one of the most rare accomplishments that the Leader of the CENAtion has yet to achieve.
But thankfully, it’s not too late for him, but at the same time, as he waltzes into the twilight years of his career, he doesn’t have many years left to achieve this goal. Ergo, he should insert himself into the title hunt as soon as he comes back.
Assuming that Shinsuke Nakamura is still the Intercontinental Champion when Cena returns, that in itself offers an interesting storyline, given that the only time they ever wrestled, it was the King of Strong Style who came on top. Seeing the Bumblebee star get his win back whilst achieving a career first would make a satisfying visual.