Previously hinted LA Knight rival to make SummerSlam return after 3 years? Exploring the likelihood of major swerve

LA Knight is ready to fight for the United States Championship when he takes on the reigning champion, Logan Paul, at SummerSlam. The match is expected to be made official this week on SmackDown, and it wouldn't be surprising if a stipulation were added.

On that occasion, we could see John Cena return and become the Special Guest Referee for the match, appearing at SummerSlam for the first time since 2021. While the Cenation leader hasn't given any hints on a likely return, he could make a surprise appearance to add more hype to the title match.

It will not be the first time he will become the Special Guest Referee

John Cena could be back in WWE just a month after his appearance at Money in the Bank, where he announced he would retire in 2025.

Thus, WWE could add him as a special guest referee to ensure that there will be no wrongdoing in the match. This will not be the first time that Cena will be the referee in one of LA Knight's matches, as he was the special guest referee when the latter took on The Miz at Payback last year.

It could continue his feud with LA Knight

After the match against The Miz at Payback last year, LA Knight teased a feud with John Cena, even though WWE didn't proceed with this plan amid Cena's part-time schedule.

However, adding him to the US Title match could help reignite the feud and lead to a future match now that the 16-time world champion has officially announced his farewell tour next year.

Cena has praised Knight for his wrestling skills and performance in WWE, so a feud between the two could further elevate the latter.

LA Knight and Logan Paul could become part of John Cena's retirement tour

As John Cena has announced he will retire at the end of 2025, it remains to be seen who his opponents will be in this retirement tour.

Cena is expected to face top superstars, as he will be able to appear on both RAW and SmackDown. Thus, taking on Knight and Logan Paul is a very likely scenario.

With that in mind, if he appears at SummerSlam as the special guest referee, it would help set the stage for a future match with both stars, either for the US Title or as part of his farewell tour.