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The last time John Cena was featured in a major WWE event, viewers witnessed a surreal contest pitting him against Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36. The Firefly Fun House match between the two men felt like a mini-movie, which ended on a sour note for the Cenation leader.
Since losing to Wyatt, Cena has pursued various film and television projects outside of WWE. Meanwhile, fans have missed his presence on weekly shows such as RAW and SmackDown.
A major aspect of Cena's onscreen gimmick hinges on crowd reactions, and now that WWE live events will return from July onward, he could soon make an appearance. During a recent interview with Den of Geek, the 16-time world champion admitted that he is looking forward to a WWE return when the time is right.
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According to the Wrestling Observer (via CSS), WWE is currently planning for John Cena to appear on their first show back with live fans, which will be the July 16th episode of Friday Night SmackDown in Houston, Texas.
Whenever the Cenation leader chooses to return, he could have some important matches against RAW, SmackDown, and NXT superstars. With that in mind, let's take a look at five dream matches for John Cena upon his likely return to WWE.
#5 Damian Priest vs. John Cena could be an instant WWE classic
Damian Priest, a former NXT star, has made a huge splash on the WWE main roster in 2021. His partnership alongside Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny led to a newsworthy showdown against The Miz and John Morrison at WrestleMania 37. As a result, Priest earned a huge WrestleMania moment that will likely be remembered for a long time.
For the most part, Damian Priest's main roster run thus far indicates that he has a good chance of becoming a top star one day. Yes, his zombie-themed lumberjack match against The Miz wasn't a step in the right direction, but it still ended up being a highly newsworthy affair.
Based on WrestleVotes' recent report, Priest may receive a big opportunity soon. Could that opportunity result in a major showdown between him and John Cena? While both stars have never been part of the same bout, a match against the Cenation leader should significantly advance his career.
Damian Priest isn't a young talent anymore, but a win over Cena would solidify his position on the main roster. A dream match between the two could also be the perfect recipe to entertain WWE's returning live crowds.
#4 WWE NXT's Karrion Kross has openly advocated for a dream match against John Cena
Karrion Kross currently holds the WWE NXT Championship on the Black and Gold brand. Ever since he debuted for the promotion last year, Kross has been undefeated in singles action.
His accomplishments undoubtedly speak for themselves. The WWE NXT star has also appeared in headlines for his comments regarding John Cena. Kross seems all-in on the idea of a dream showdown against Cena, as he has publicly expressed the same on more than one occasion.
Earlier this month, the current NXT Champion said he would be honored to face Cena in WWE.
"I think John Cena would probably be the match that I would most likely be interested in for the immediate future," Kross told BT Sport. "Everybody has already called out The Rock. Everyone already called out Brock Lesnar. Everyone has exercised interest in seeing Scarlett and I versus The Fiend and Alexa Bliss. But I think having the opportunity to work with John Cena on a really big stage, hopefully with people, would be awesome, and I think it’s two different generations meeting. I attribute a lot of my modern-day inspiration to his generation."
"I’ve never met him before, but it’s very easy to see, very easy to tell he’s one of the hardest working people ever in this industry," Kross continued. "He’s the reason why a lot of us have a job today. Personally, it would just be an honor to work with him."
Karrion Kross also added that his potential in-ring chemistry with John Cena "would shock people."
Kross himself has gone above and beyond to highlight the appeal of a dream clash between him and Cena. As a result, it would be a shame if the match never happened in WWE at some point down the line.
Moreover, John Cena's potential NXT appearances would create more possibilities for him and benefit the entire brand on a mainstream scale.
#3 Apollo Crews has found his groove for a dream match against John Cena in WWE
A few years ago, a WWE match between Apollo Crews and John Cena wouldn't have been an intriguing showdown. After all, Crews' onscreen persona wasn't exactly the most interesting character on WWE's main roster.
The man himself has talked about how Cena used to encourage him to figure out a compelling gimmick:
“When I first got to the main roster at the top John Cena was still working and he would always pull me aside and be like, ‘Who is Apollo Crews? We gotta figure this out. Who is Apollo Crews?’" Crews said on After the Bell. "At the time, I’m just like the most generic… it’s so embarrassing to even think about it. It’s like, ‘I’m this guy, I work hard, dah dah dah.’ He’s like, ‘Well, everybody works hard, but who are you?’”
In early 2021, Apollo Crews embraced his Nigerian heritage and carved out an exciting heel character for himself on WWE SmackDown. Crews is the current Intercontinental Champion, and he might be on the best run of his WWE career.
With that in mind, John Cena could finally find a worthy opponent in Apollo Crews if the former returns to WWE in the near future. Thanks to their contrasting characters, the two men may engage in an entertaining rivalry for the Intercontinental Championship.
John Cena's advice could have indirectly led to Apollo Crews' latest character development. So it would be quite fitting if WWE's higher-ups consider Crews' recent accomplishments and pit him in a dream clash against the Cenation leader.
#2 John Cena could fight Aleister Black's darker persona in WWE
John Cena's storyline with The Fiend/Bray Wyatt saw the former enter WWE's surreal realm of storytelling. Cena's image as a top star had been protected for years, but the Firefly Fun House match allowed him to step out of his comfort zone.
If the Cenation leader chooses to keep experimenting with his character upon returning to WWE, a feud against Aleister Black could be an excellent option.
Black has experimented with his own persona in recent times, and the Dutch superstar's cryptic aura may end up being an intriguing contrast to Cena's status as a global icon. Their opposing philosophies could also lead to a few interesting segments in front of live crowds.
This potential feud should lead to a dream match between the two men, preferably at a big pay-per-view.
Aleister Black has all the tools to become a top star. However, he just hasn't received the proper opportunity to establish himself in such a position. Wrestling John Cena in one-on-one competition could finally launch Black into superstardom.
#1 John Cena vs. Drew McIntyre may go down as one of the biggest dream matches in WWE history
John Cena was WWE's top babyface for years, defining an entire generation of superstars. Since last year's WrestleMania event, Drew McIntyre seems to have taken up this role on Monday Night RAW.
McIntyre and Cena have been part of the same multi-man matches in the past. However, they never went toe-to-toe with each other in a singles contest.
If the Cenation leader appears on WWE RAW anytime soon, he may cross paths with The Scottish Warrior. Given that they are two heroic idols, Cena and McIntyre could team up in an exhibition match.
But a tag team contest will just continue the trend of both men being associated with each other in multi-man matchups. Instead, a one-on-one bout between McIntyre and Cena is the perfect premise for a dream clash.
John Cena should naturally pass the torch to Drew McIntyre, which would most likely go down in the history books as one of the most defining WWE moments of this decade.
While you're here, feel free to check out Sportskeeda Wrestling's exclusive interview with Jim Ross in the video posted above. The WWE Hall of Famer elaborated on his initial interaction with John Cena, among various other topics.
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