4 Ways John Cena could return to WWE before the end of 2022

2022 has been a historic year for WWE in several ways: Vince McMahon is no longer in creative control, with his son-in-law, Triple H, taking over his duties. Cody Rhodes has returned to the top professional wrestling promotion, while Stone Cold Steve Austin competed at WrestleMania.

However, Sportskeeda Wrestling recently shared an interesting statistic. As of this writing, John Cena hasn't had a single wrestling match in WWE this year. If he doesn't compete in the next three months, then 2022 would be the first time in two decades that The Face That Runs The Place has not competed in the company.

This is unfortunate news for The Champ's incredibly loyal fan base. With the myriad of surprises we've seen lately, Cena may return to WWE, which may or may not involve wrestling a match. Here, we explore four ways that can happen.

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#4 John Cena could return as Special Guest Referee for Roman Reigns vs. Logan Paul at Crown Jewel

We're more than a month away from WWE's next spectacle in Saudi Arabia - Crown Jewel- and the company has already announced its main event for the show. Roman Reigns will defend his Undisputed Universal Championship against social media sensation Logan Paul in a massive blockbuster.

The Maverick may bring in his brother, Jake Paul, to level the playing field with The Bloodline. With all the hype, the whole point of Reigns vs. Paul is to attract eyeballs and appease the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In a fancy bid to attract more viewers and boost ticket sales, John Cena could be added to the mix. The Cenation Leader had not competed in Saudi Arabia since April 2018, when he defeated Triple H at The Greatest Royal Rumble event. However, one cannot rule out the possibility of The Franchise Player returning in a non-wrestling capacity.

Given his imposing presence, Cena can call the match clean in the middle of the ring and prevent things from getting out of hand.

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#3 John Cena returns to challenge Austin Theory to a one-on-one match at WrestleMania 39

Since the powers-that-be showed an interest in Austin Theory, fans have drawn interesting comparisons between him and John Cena. A-Town Down has taunted Cena on Twitter as well. They had an intriguing confrontation backstage on June 27, when The Champ returned to celebrate his twenty-year career.

Cena vs. Theory seems almost inevitable after repeated teasers and wild social media speculations. The two former champions could lock horns at WrestleMania 39 in Hollywood. However, the sixteen-time world champion's busy schedule hinders a long, full-fledged program. The Champ is only available for a handful of dates which can be used wisely to build towards the aforementioned dream match.

If WWE can get him on board for its annual Christmas edition of RAW, then Cena could make an announced return to his second home. It would pop a rating and lay the foundation for his next big match. The Champ can issue a challenge to Theory for WrestleMania on the show.

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#2 John Cena returns to announce his entry into the 2023 Men's Royal Rumble match

John Cena is a two-time Royal Rumble winner.

The Royal Rumble event will emanate from The Alamodome in January 2023. Once again, WWE would need considerable star power to fill all the seats in the house, and that's where John Cena, a man with incomparable drawing power, enters the fray.

Instead of randomly issuing a challenge to Austin Theory for WrestleMania, Cena can announce his entry into the Men's Royal Rumble match. We know the sixteen-time world champion is itching to break Ric Flair's record and rewrite history. A Rumble victory would book a ticket to the main event of The Show of Shows.

Even if he doesn't win, it could be used to set up Theory vs. Cena for Mania 39 as A-Town Down could eliminate his childhood role model. There is no drawback to having The Champ compete in the Men's Royal Rumble match. If he does, it'll be his first appearance in the match since 2018.

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#1 John Cena returns to help Edge and Rey Mysterio destroy Judgment Day

John Cena could return to help a few old allies.

Edge and Rey Mysterio are embroiled in a profoundly personal feud with Judgment Day, a faction that the Hall of Famer ironically created. The trio of Finn Balor, Rhea Ripley, and Damian Priest turned Dominik Mysterio against his father, Rey, at Clash at the Castle. Meanwhile, the legendary duo is heavily outnumbered at the moment.

Enter John Cena. Judgment Day has an issue with past stars like Rey and Edge. Cena also fits the same category. Although these three have their differences, they greatly respect each other.

The Champ could level the playing field and help vanquish Judgment Day. WWE could be building towards a WarGames match at Survivor Series, and Cena could be revealed as a final, last-minute addition to the card.