5 Potential matches for John Cena at SummerSlam 2018 

With Money In The Bank now in the history books, WWE fans are beginning to turn their attention towards the company's Summer period.

The company often dip into a creative lull during their post-WrestleMania months, with many fans worn down after such an intense period. After a short break, though, fans are raring to go again as the company's biggest event of the Summer, SummerSlam, approaches.

SummerSlam is still considered by many to be the company's second biggest event of the year, and while that may or may not be true, the company still likes to pull out all of the stops in August.

Over the coming weeks, the company is likely to begin planting the seeds for some of the summer's biggest stories, and it doesn't seem like too much of a leap to presume that John Cena will be involved somewhere.

While he is largely absent from the WWE these days, John Cena remains as one of the company's biggest draws, and it's crazy to imagine him not being involved in the biggest event of the Summer.

Cena may not be on WWE television at the moment, but given his star power, it won't take the company long to establish a rivalry for him for SummerSlam. Let's take at five potential opponents for Cena at this year's event.

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#5: Seth Rollins

Rollins deserves a big match at this year's SummerSlam

Seth Rollins' recent defeat at the hands of Dolph Ziggler came as surprise to pretty much everybody, with most fans expecting Rollins to be involved in a big program over the Summer involving the belt.

The most logical reason for Rollins dropping his belt so suddenly though, is that the WWE has something big lined up for him over the Summer.

While the more optimistic portion of the WWE fanbase are hoping that Rollins will end up challenging Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam for the Univeral Championship, most fans realize that that spot is likely going to be reserved for Rollins' former Sheild team-mate, Roman Reigns.

Rollins is likely going to be put into a feud with a returning Ambrose, who is believed to be returning to in-ring action in the very near future, but if he isn't cleared to wrestle, then Cena could definitely work as a stand-in.

The two men put on an excellent match at SummerSlam back in 2015, and while a face vs face match might not be the easiest to book, there could be any number of reasons why the two men might want to pit themselves against each other in Brooklyn.

Rollins is on fire right now, and the WWE needs to capitalize on that momentum and give him a match at SummerSlam worthy of his recent performances, and there are few bigger names in the WWE than John Cena.

#4: Brock Lesnar

Could Cena be the one to end Lesnar's reign of terror?

Okay, so this one is a bit of a leap. Most fans are tired of Brock Lesnar's run as Universal Champion, and if the company decided to go cold on the idea of Roman Reigns or Braun Strowman going over Lesnar clean, then John Cena might be their next best.

Lesnar has destroyed everybody over the last 16 months, and there is literally no-one, except for maybe Seth Rollins or Bobby Lashley, left for him to face. If the WWE decides that Reigns or Strowman isn't the person to end his reign, then John Cena may be the only viable option.

Cena and Lesnar have exchanged victories several times over the course of their careers, and while Lesnar may have destroyed Cena in their last outing, there's no reason why John couldn't overcome The Beast in a rematch.

The match is also guaranteed money, and with the fans beginning to turn on Reigns more and more, a record-breaking victory from John Cena might be their next best option.

Of course, there is also Braun Strowman lurking in the background with his briefcase, and a match between Cena and Braun later down the line could also prove to be a big money-maker for the company.

#3: Shinsuke Nakamura

Could John Cena finally provide Shinsuke Nakamura with his break-out match?

Shinsuke Nakamura's recent heel turn has breathed life back into the former NJPW star, but he is still in need of both a big victory and a show-stealing match to really establish himself as a top guy.

Since arriving on the main roster last April, Shinsuke's matches on the main roster have not exactly set the world on fire.

His series with AJ, while delivering at Money In The Bank, was mostly marred by bad booking decisions and his run with Jinder Mahal at the end of 2017 did him few favours in the eyes of a casual audience.

Nakamura's biggest stand out singles match, in my opinion, came against John Cena on an episode of SmackDown last August. The two men had an excellent chemistry in the ring and Cena did a great job of putting Shinsuke over.

Having the two men share a ring again could potentially get the best out of Shinsuke, and a high profile victory over John Cena would really get him over as one of the company's best heels.

Shinsuke's current pursuit of the US title could even culminate in the title being on the line in Brooklyn as well.

#2: Samoa Joe

For many fans, Cena Vs Joe is a dream match-up

Fans have been desperate to see these two men go one on one ever since Joe arrived in the company last February, and the WWE would be wise to pull the trigger on the match before Cena's appearances become even more limited.

Joe is on fire at the moment, and he a headlining slot at SummerSlam would be considered by many as a just reward. While the former TNA and ROH World Champion is a big star, he is still without a distinctive PPV victory to really cement his place at the top of the card.

Joe Cena is, for many fans, a dream match, and the two would no doubt put on a bout for the ages. Joe's rumoured upcoming pursuit of the WWE title could also be linked into the match, with Joe using a victory over Cena as an excuse to compete for the company's top prize.

#1: The Undertaker

John Cena and The Undertaker have unfinished business after WrestleMania

It still remains unclear as to what exactly The Undertaker's current status within the WWE is. The Deadman was last seen in Saudi Arabia throwing both members of Rusev Day in a casket, and it seems highly unlikely that that will be his last appearance in 2018.

Taker and Cena's match at WrestleMania 34 was one of the strangest on the card, and Taker's burial of Cena has to have some sort of long-term payoff.

There is a lot of speculation about the two men both putting their careers on the line at next year's WrestleMania, and that does make a lot of sense. What doesn't make sense, however, is why The Undertaker would put his career on the line against a man he defeated in a matter of minutes a year prior.

The WWE will need to level the playing field if a retirement match is their aim, and having Cena pick up a victory over The Deadman at SummerSlam would be the best way to do that. Cena and Taker, despite their ages, are still legitimate draws, and an advertised match between them would no doubt help boost network subscriptions heading into the event.