5 Alternative opponents for John Cena when he returns to WWE

With WWE SummerSlam just a month away, speculation has been mounting over the last few weeks that John Cena will face The Undertaker in a WrestleMania 34 rematch at “The Biggest Party of The Summer” in August.

The previous meeting between the two lasted just 2 minutes and 45 seconds, with “The Deadman” taking part in his first match in 12 months to quickly defeat a shell-shocked Cena at ‘Mania in April.

Since then, ‘Taker has been involved in two more WWE matches, defeating Rusev at the Greatest Royal Rumble before teaming with Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman in a victory over Elias, Baron Corbin and Kevin Owens at an MSG live event.

Cena, meanwhile, defeated Triple H in the opening match at the Greatest Royal Rumble event but he has barely been mentioned on WWE programming since.

So, when the 16-time world champion inevitably makes his in-ring return to WWE, should he go one-on-one again against the man who defeated him so convincingly in New Orleans? Or should he face somebody else?

In this article, let’s take a look at five alternative opponents who “Big Match John” could take on when he returns.

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#5 Bobby Lashley

Bobby Lashley is currently in the Universal Championship picture

Depending on how Bobby Lashley vs. Roman Reigns pans out on Raw next week, there’s a very real possibility that “The Dominator” will be without an opponent heading into his first SummerSlam event in 11 years.

If that is the case, is there any better Superstar for the former ECW champion to face next than a returning John Cena?

The two men have only ever met in a televised singles match on one previous occasion, with Cena coming out on top in a World Heavyweight Championship encounter at the 2007 Great American Bash PPV.

A rivalry between the two could have a similar build-up to what we saw in 2017 between Cena and Reigns before No Mercy. After all, Lashley’s mission in WWE is to prove that he is the top guy on Monday Night Raw, so what more appropriate opponent than the face who used to run the place?

#4 Velveteen Dream

When discussing potential future opponents in a recent Q&A session, John Cena said he would rather face Velveteen Dream over Adam Cole or Ricochet because he sees the 22-year-old NXT Superstar as “The One” and has an “odd, mental and great feeling” about him.

The outspoken former Tough Enough contestant replied on Twitter, “Whenever he wants. The DREAM is here. The DREAM… is… here!”

Cena also mentioned that he would love to perform at an NXT show one day. However, at the rate that Dream is flying through the WWE ranks, something tells us that this fantasy match is a lot more likely to happen on the main roster than in NXT.

#3 Elias

John Cena and Elias were involved in a brief rivalry in late 2017 and early 2018, culminating with a confrontation between the two men in the minutes leading up to The Undertaker’s return at WrestleMania 34.

Would another feud between the 16-time champion and WWE’s resident guitar player be a little underwhelming? Probably, but it wouldn’t be at all surprising when you consider who Cena fought upon his return from a lengthy absence after WrestleMania last year.

Before his blockbuster battle with Roman Reigns at No Mercy 2017, “Big Match John” was involved in significantly smaller matches to what he is used to, facing Rusev in a flag match at the SmackDown-exclusive Battleground event before taking on Baron Corbin at SummerSlam.

Will WWE treat Cena in a similar manner when he makes his next return? Or will he immediately be positioned back in the main-event scene? If it’s the former, don’t count out another mini-feud with Elias, even if it’s only on Raw.

#2 Andrade “Cien” Almas

the a — Andrade "Cien" Almas was impressive against AJ Styles on SmackDown Live

Remember when Kevin Owens debuted on the main roster as NXT champion and immediately made a massive statement by defeating John Cena at Elimination Chamber 2015?

Well, Andrade “Cien” Almas has already been a member of the SmackDown Live roster for the last couple of months, but a match (and victory) over Cena in the not-too-distant future would still have the same effect as it had on KO three years ago, and it would instantly solidify him as a top star on the blue brand.

Granted, it’s unlikely that WWE would want to increase Cena’s current PPV losing streak of six consecutive losses (excluding the Greatest Royal Rumble) unless it tied in with his storyline with The Undertaker, so maybe this suggestion is more in hope than expectation.

#1 Samoa Joe

Samoa Joe has started feuds with John Cena in the past

Samoa Joe vs. John Cena is a rivalry that WWE has been trying to put together for almost a year. However, on both occasions that they attempted to move in that direction – after SummerSlam 2017 and before the 2018 Royal Rumble – Joe suffered injuries and the storylines were over within a couple of weeks.

“The Destroyer” has been back on television for the last three months but he hasn’t been involved in a meaningful one-on-one storyline since the culmination of his feud with Roman Reigns in May.

So, has WWE scrapped plans entirely for a Joe vs. Cena rivalry? Or will they see this as ‘third time lucky’ and try to set it up for the third time in 12 months when “Big Match John” makes his long-awaited return?

With Cena free to work on either brand, don't be surprised if we see the match at some point before WrestleMania 35.