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Believe it or not, it's 2019 already. And to kick off the year on the right note, WWE made a huge announcement on the final RAW of the year. John Cena would be making his big RAW return next week. We know that he'll only be working a few days before he's off to film his upcoming movies.
Now, we already know that Cena has come back to SmackDown Live. His return was announced last week, and what ensued upon his return has to be read to be believed (yes, it was a taped show, so spoilers are out). Expect RAW to be just as packed an affair as SmackDown Live was.
So, what will happen when John Cena returns to the ring for next week's show? I will list a few possibilities for your reading pleasure.
Let me know what you think of them.
#5 Challenges Lesnar for a Universal Championship match
John Cena is not the only superstar who's returning next week. Another man who's coming to RAW after a hiatus is the reigning, defending, undisputed Universal Champion, Brock Lesnar. How cool would it be to see the two biggest stars on the show, if not the business, in the middle of the ring?
Yes, Cena and Lesnar have waged battles in the past and they've always been noteworthy. At a time when viewership is declining with every passing week, these two juggernauts can potentially save the day. John Cena and Lesnar could get into a fist fight, leading to a WrestleMania match.
At WrestleMania, John Cena could finally pin Brock Lesnar to become a 17 time World Champion, to the delight of the WWE Universe. It would also be his first Universal Championship win.
#4 Mini feud against Corbin
This will not be the first time that Corbin and Cena have actually crossed paths. The two men were also at odds during their time on SmackDown Live. But Corbin has come a long way since then.
Baron Corbin has actually gone from a bad wrestler into a solid one. He's had some great matches this year, against the likes of Seth Rollins and Finn Balor. Granted you cannot have bad matches with those gentlemen, Baron Corbin's still held his own.
His run as an authority figure cemented his place as a top heel, and the WWE Universe absolutely hates him. What better way to shut up the man, than when he's cutting a promo in the middle of the ring, only to be interrupted by Cena.
If Corbin can pin Cena on the way out, his career could be made.
#3 Jumped by Owens and Zayn
John Cena is not the only man coming to RAW. So are two other men that he's quite familiar with. These two men are none other than Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Their return was announced two RAW episodes ago, but nothing has been heard from them since.
It is not known whether they'll return as heels or babyfaces. Before he was injured, Owens did seem like he would go down the babyface route at long last. Despite the fact that he's a heel, Owens has always been a crowd favourite.
But if both men return as a unit, chances are they will be heels gunning for the top spot again. What better way to have them return with a bang than by 'beating up John Cena'?
It could be a pretty fun mini-feud!
#2 Ambrose's next Intercontinental Championship challenger
So, John Cena may be a 16 time World Champion. But he's never won the Intercontinental Championship in his career. It's the only title that keeping him from becoming a Grand Slam Champion.
We know that Dean Ambrose has been feuding against the likes of Tyler Breeze and Apollo Crews in recent weeks. We know that Seth Rollins will not get an automatic rematch and has therefore been removed from the Intercontinental Championship picture. This leads to the possibility of a showdown between Cena and Dean Ambrose.
As gifted as Dean Ambrose is, he's not exactly setting the world on fire with his current Intercontinental Championship reign and a dose of Cena may be just what he needs to become relevant again. Could Cena perhaps win the title for a week and lose it to Ambrose only a week later?
#1 A feud against Drew McIntyre
Did you manage to catch any part of RAW this week? If you did not, here is my usual 'Best and Worst' analysis that should give you an indication of exactly what transpired. The show kicked off with a massive cage match between Drew McIntyre and Dolph Ziggler, that the former WWE superstar won. And then he cut a pretty intense promo!
McIntyre spoke about being the 'King of the Jungle'. Well, if there's any man who can be described as 'the king' of the company, it is John Cena. He's been the cornerstone of WWE for many years.
Having the two men face off with McIntyre scoring a big win, would shock the WWE Universe. It would be the rocket power McIntyre needs to go to the very next level.
What do you think will happen when Cena returns to RAW again?
