5 Incredible surprise appearances we're expecting for SmackDown Live's first show on FOX

#2 John Cena

The 16-time champion may have a free date in his busy schedule on October 4th

The leader of the Cenation has been noticeably absent from WWE programming this year. Aside from a few special appearances here and there, like his WrestleMania moment where he trounced Elias as the Dr. of Thuganomics, John Cena has been heavily focused on his projects outside of the world of sports entertainment.

In 2018, Cena had two major roles in Blockers and Bumblebee, two highly rated blockbusters. 2019 seems to be another huge year for his Hollywood career, as he's wrapped up filming for three films and is currently taking part in the filming of his fourth, The Suicide Squad. So his schedule maybe a little too busy to get any major feuds out of him this year.

That being said, Cena is one of the biggest Superstars to ever come out of the Blue Brand. Kicking off the Ruthless Aggression era, Cena was a huge part in attracting a new generation of fans for WWE. While older fans of SmackDown had The Undertaker, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Booker T, and Kurt Angle, the younger audience gravitated towards Cena who, nearly two decades later, can be placed in the "Greatest of All Time" discussion.

He was a huge part of SmackDown's success in the early 00s and it's hard to imagine that the company wouldn't try to bring him back for such a monumental event.