5 Wrestlers that deserve a push in light of Cena's injury

Despite having undergone shoulder surgery successfully, John Cena’s outlook for Wrestlemania 32 seems bleakIn light of all the hype and furore surrounding Wrestlemania 32 and the record-breaking precedents the company was hoping for it to set, John Cena’s shoulder injury couldn’t have materialised at a more inopportune moment for the WWE.Out for at least 6 to 9 months, barring a Super Cena-esque recovery that cannot entirely be put beyond him, the WWE has to now contend with restructuring their plans going forward, for all intents and purposes, without their franchise player.If internet rumours were to be believed, finding a suitable replacement to hoist up the ratings of Monday Night Raw might be the least of the WWE’s concerns, given that John Cena was reportedly pencilled in opposite the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 32.However, despite his addition to the laundry list of injury beleaguered stars in the company, one potential silver lining that the WWE could yet glean a semblance of relief from is the considerable amount of time afforded to them to go into damage-control mode before April comes around.On that note, here is a low-down of 5 potential replacements for John Cena in light of his recent injury lay-off.

#1 Roman Reigns

The WWE has left no stone unturned in promoting Roman Reigns thus far

It is the worst kept secret as far as the WWE is concerned that Roman Reigns is slated to take over as the top babyface in the company, as and when the glare of the spotlight on John Cena is dimmed out.

Despite a stuttering start at best for the ex-Shield powerhouse in his new role, the return of Vince McMahon as the egomaniacal boss to TV programming has served as a shot in the arm as far as re-invigorating his character and endearing him to the WWE audience is concerned.

Naturally then – with Cena now injured – it would only seem logical that Roman Reigns could be required to make the step up and assume the mantle of carrying Raw and Smackdown on his shoulders.

However, that may well be where his promotion is curtailed, given that his somewhat delicate babyface labelling with the fans could fall under siege should the WWE also have him face the Undertaker at Wrestlemania.

#2 Brock Lesnar

Paul Heyman’s brain coupled with Brock Lesnar’s brawn could realistically fill the void left by John Cena

Despite his pricey contract that only binds him to sporadic appearances, if there was ever a time for Vince McMahon to loosen his purse strings and revisit the terms of a Superstar, it would be now and the wrestler would be Brock Lesnar.

Taking into consideration that Lesnar was wildly cheered despite feuding with the Undertaker only serves to highlight how much novelty his appearances entail; a dynamic the WWE could exploit in greater depth owing to their severe injury epidemic.

If solely the razzmatazz accompanying a Brock Lesnar appearance isn’t reason enough to sell the WWE on the idea, then surely the throaty propensity of Paul Heyman on the microphone would gladly oblige.

And direly facing the dearth of star power in the lead-up to Wrestlemania, the company could well be tempted to consider the proposition for the want of other options.

#3 The Rock

The Rock could pull innumerable mainstream eyeballs into the product to soften the blow of losing John Cena

Having The Rock announce that he would be involved with Wrestlemania 32 even before the advent of 2016 could turn out to be a masterstroke for the WWE in hindsight, all things considered.

Especially now, also deprived of their main merchandising draw and top babyface in John Cena, the road to Wrestlemania could ideally do with some enlivening in terms of showmanship and mainstream magnetism – the very calling cards of The Brahma Bull.

Assuming that The Rock has sorted out the insurance issues that initially surfaced upon question of his participation in Wrestlemania, and any prior movie obligations hindering the same, his post-haste involvement with the WWE should preferably be cast in stone.

As the other alumni of the WWE – whose names are bandied about in conjuncture with a special appearance – are only expected in a non-wrestling capacity at best, the importance of The Rock stepping up cannot in any way be understated.

#4 Daniel Bryan

Given the euphoric levels of audience reaction that he generates, a Daniel Bryan return could potentially be huge for the WWE

Amidst all the scuttlebutt floating around the internet regarding internal politics in the WWE, the latest one to ignite controversy has been the suggestion that Daniel Bryan’s return from injury is being held back by the powers that be.

With the 2015 Royal Rumble debacle still fresh in their minds, perhaps it is understandable why the WWE may be reluctant to rush the immensely popular Bryan back into action given the negative spill-off it may trigger on Roman Reigns.

However, with differing doctor opinions further muddying the waters, Daniel Bryan’s recent tweet posing the rhetorical question, “Can the WWE clear me already?!!!”, seems to let on more than has been publically announced by the company on the subject.

It is one thing if the WWE holds benign intentions for the health of Daniel Bryan, but if they are indeed playing hardball, we can concur that now would be the time to look past any such petty misgivings and let him compete again.

#5 Sting

Sting versus the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 32 – ‘nuff said

While the WWE may still keep their heads above water as far as Raw ratings are concerned, altering their rumoured plans for slotting John Cena opposite the Phenom at Wrestlemania 32 may yet leave them in a slight pickle.

Especially since this year could spell the end of the Undertaker’s storied career, John Cena as an opponent in his final Wrestlemania appearance would have been symbolic of a befitting curtain call on the grandest stage of them all.

However, if the WWE were looking for a like-for-like replacement, they need not look far.

From one franchise player to another and one dream match scenario to the next, there is an element of poetic justice in the way Sting emerges from the shadows to save the day, just like he has done throughout his career.

The Undertaker versus Sting at Wrestlemania 32; after which both of the industry’s legendary protagonists could call time on their careers.

As an event bearing metaphorical relevance and symmetry, you would agree, even the availability of John Cena would struggle to hold a candle to it.