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John Cena has returned to the WWE and received universal support from the fans that have missed him. The company has announced and promoted a "Summer of Cena" tour that will see the former 16-time world champion appear across RAW and SmackDown over the next two months. This presents a unique opportunity for the promotion.
With John Cena being gone for well over a year, there has been a new crop of WWE superstars that have emerged during the pandemic era. These competitors have yet to step foot in the squared circle with a superstar the caliber of Cena. Whether they win, lose or draw, a chance to do battle with the Doctor of Thuganomics would do a lot for the careers of these superstars.
The "Summer of Cena" is underway and should have plenty of intriguing possibilities ahead. In this article, let's take a look at the five matches we must see during the "Summer of Cena". This will exclude the long rumored Cena vs. Roman Reigns Summerslam showdown.
#5 John Cena vs. Jey Uso
As previously mentioned, WWE seems to be planting the seeds for a John Cena vs. Roman Reigns Summerslam main event since his return at Money In The Bank. Although Reigns has turned down the challenge of Cena, all signs point to this dream match going down and it should be a money matchup. To further build on this confrontation, there is a certain Right Hand Man who might step up.
Jey Uso has become an enforcer and roadblock for many of Roman Reigns's rivals. Jey has been in high profile matches and won the 2021 Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal. He has truly earned the moniker of "Main Event Jey Uso". Although he has stepped up against the likes of Edge and Kevin Owens, John Cena would present the biggest challenge of Uso's singles career for sure.
This will be an interesting battle, especially with Jimmy Uso back in play. The Usos may use their numbers to counteract what Cena puts forth. "The Face That Runs The Place" will have to have eyes in the back of his head. Jey Uso will be a competitor that offers a formidable obstacle ahead of Summerslam for Cena.
#4 John Cena vs. Apollo Crews
When John Cena was last on top of the WWE, Apollo Crews was just a smiling babyface who was looking for his opportunity. This year has witnessed a metamorphsis for Apollo. His pursuit of the Intercontinental Champion led to him snapping and tapping into his heritage to create a new persona.
A man from Nigerian royalty has used his aggression to grand success. Apollo Crews defeated Big E in a Nigerian Drum Fight at WrestleMania 37 to win the Intercontinental Championship. Now with Commander Azeez by his side, Crews is more confident than ever and has the gold to back it up.
Apollo Crews challenging John Cena would be quite intriguing. Crews is still a gifted athlete who can more than hold his own in the ring with the Doctor of Thuganomics. However, Commander Azeez should bolster his chances of pulling off his biggest win yet.
John Cena is no stranger to men of Azeez's size. This is the same man who has overcome challenges from Umaga and Great Khali in the past. It would be very interesting to see after some significant time away from the ring if Cena can withstand the onslaught of both Crews and Azeez. Regardless of outcome, this would be the most important contest of Apollo's career.
#3 John Cena vs. Sami Zayn
When looking at the SmackDown roster for potential opponents for John Cena, there are not many better than Sami Zayn. The former Intercontinental Champion has been one of the most entertaining characters on the main roster for well over a year now. His in-ring work has never been in doubt, but his promo ability has more than filled the void and brought quality to weekly television.
Sami Zayn's conspiracy gimmick fits in nicely against John Cena. If there is one WWE superstar who may be connected to the conspiracy against Zayn, it would be "The Face That Runs The Place". Their history dates back to the very beginning of Sami's run on the main roster as well.
Sami Zayn answered John Cena's United States Championship open challenge back in 2015. In what was a very good contest, Sami was injured and taken out of action for several months. This delayed his eventual call-up to the main roster and may have been when the conspiracy truly started. It would be fitting if Zayn brought this up and created a storyline reason for this showdown.
Just like their first meeting, the in-ring action should be fun and engaging for the fans in attendance. This would be perfect as a television matchup for Cena on SmackDown. Sami Zayn cutting one of his signature promos, leading into a lengthy, competitive bout against John Cena, would be a great way to close an episode. This is something WWE should definitely book immediately.
#2 John Cena vs. Riddle
John Cena will primarily be appearing on SmackDown to build towards a Summerslam match against Roman Reigns. However, there are a number of dates that will see Cena appear on RAW as well. On his return on Monday night, he made sure to give the rub to a superstar who has become one of the most popular on the entire brand.
Cena had a "BRO-off" with none other than Riddle. The Original Bro has become one of the biggest fan favorites in all of WWE due to his hilarious persona and interactions with RK-Bro teammate Randy Orton. Although Riddle seems to be on his way to a shot at the RAW Tag Team Championships at Summerslam with Orton, a big-time singles match would help raise his stock even more.
Riddle has showcased his skills in high profile matches against AJ Styles and Drew McIntyre this year. His hard-hitting style and MMA background makes him one of the more complete performers in the company. He continues to deliver whenever given the opportunity to have time in the ring. Being against John Cena would present a chance to impress the fans and those behind the scenes.
John Cena has shown for years that he can step up when in the ring with elite performers. Whether it be against Seth Rollins, Shawn Michaels or Cesaro, Cena has produced some classic battles against the best in-ring workers over the past two decades. Riddle would provide a fascinating opponent who could give Cena his best match in the last few years.
#1 John Cena vs. Finn Balor
On SmackDown, WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns turned down a challenge from John Cena for Summerslam. The Tribal Chief criticized Cena for being the same old act that was new in 2005. Just as it seemed that he had no more challenges to answer, Finn Balor came out and made his own challenge to Reigns.
This should set up a main event matchup with Balor and Reigns on SmackDown in the next few weeks, but it could also set up a first-time ever contest for John Cena. Although Cena's challenge was turned down, he could find himself across the ring from Balor with the title shot against Reigns at Summerslam on the line.
John Cena and Finn Balor have been in a squared circle together before. The two men were apart in a fantastic final six at the 2018 Men's Royal Rumble. The exchanges there brought the Philadelphia crowd to their feet. They were also in a brilliant Fatal Four Way Match ahead of Royal Rumble 2019 with Drew McIntyre and Baron Corbin.
On that night, Finn Balor not only got the victory, but he pinned the former 16-time world champion. Cena showed his respect for Balor and vote of approval ahead of a confrontation with Universal Champion Brock Lesnar. This remains as one of the biggest wins of Balor's main roster career, for sure.
A singles bout between John Cena and Finn Balor would be deeply compelling and may cause a split in the WWE Universe. Although Balor has gotten a strong reception since his return to the main roster two weeks ago, John Cena is getting massive pops on the level of Stone Cold Steve Austin or The Rock since his Money In The Bank return.
Finn Balor has proven on all three brands that he is one of the premier performers in the company and guarantees stellar contests when given an opportunity. Against a legend of Cena's stature, this may go down as his best encounter ever. This is why John Cena vs. Finn Balor is the match we must see the most during the "Summer of Cena".
