WWE Raw Reunion: 5 ways John Cena could get involved

Over 40 WWE legends have been advertised for the Raw Reunion episode of Monday Night Raw on July 22, but John Cena’s name is mysteriously absent from the list.

That does not mean that the 16-time World Champion will not attend the one-night extravaganza, though, as the man himself even hinted in an interview with Deco Drive earlier this week that there is a possibility that he will be in Tampa, Florida for the show.

“They say it's going to be one of the biggest Raws of all time and certainly memorable. We will… see [‘You Can't See Me’ gesture].”

Cena’s most recent televised WWE appearance came in April 2019 at WrestleMania 35, where he brought back “The Doctor of Thuganomics” to insult Elias with a derogatory rap before hitting him with an F-U, now known as the Attitude Adjustment.

With all signs pointing towards a rare WWE appearance for the 42-year-old on Monday, let’s take a look at five possible roles that he could play on the Raw Reunion episode.

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#5 World Championship announcement

John Cena has achieved everything there is to achieve as a WWE Superstar, from WrestleMania main events and Royal Rumble wins to title triumphs and beyond.

Aside from passing the torch to younger members of the roster, there is only one major storyline left for “Big Match John” in WWE, and that involves becoming a 17-time World Champion.

The all-time record of 16 World Championship victories is currently held by both Cena and Ric Flair, with Triple H (14 wins) and Randy Orton (13 wins) not far behind.

Realistically, Orton could break the record if he remains a prominent figure on WWE programming for the next decade, but Cena has been the favourite to overtake Flair’s tally ever since he defeated AJ Styles at the 2017 Royal Rumble to win title No.16.

Looking ahead to Raw Reunion, perhaps “The Leader of the Cenation” could finally make his title aspirations known by announcing that he plans to challenge for either the Universal Championship or WWE Championship when he next returns to WWE.

#4 Impromptu match

Remember when The Rock cut an in-ring promo on The Wyatt Family at WrestleMania 32 before defeating Erick Rowan in a six-second match? Well, John Cena finds himself in a similar situation heading into Raw Reunion.

Like The Rock in 2016, Cena is currently filming a movie, Fast & Furious 9, which will likely prevent him from getting into too many physical altercations upon his return to WWE.

The 16-time World Champion took a risk in January 2019 when he participated in lengthy matches on Raw and SmackDown Live shortly before he started shooting a movie, but there have also been other occasions when he has taken part in matches in the middle of a movie schedule and he has not received a single bump or punch to the face.

If we see any physicality from Cena at Raw Reunion, he is much more likely to quickly defeat somebody with the Lightning Fist (say, Drake Maverick or Bo Dallas?) than compete in a meaningful match.

#3 John Cena wins the 24/7 Championship!

Ever since the 24/7 Championship was introduced by Mick Foley on the May 20 episode of Raw, it has become one of the most featured titles on WWE programming.

Titus O’Neil became the inaugural winner of the modern-day version of the Hardcore Championship, but R-Truth and Drake Maverick are the two Superstars who have become synonymous with the title.

Given that we have seen title changes take place at an airport, golf course, wedding ceremony and hotel room, as well as various other not-fit-for-wrestling locations, it is safe to assume that WWE will have another unique idea in mind for the title at Raw Reunion, which is where John Cena comes in.

Can you imagine the amount of YouTube views if Cena wins the title on Raw and somebody, likely Truth or Maverick, wins it back from him next week while he is resting on a movie set?!

#2 Future rival calls out John Cena

Although previous WWE reunions have largely focused on legends from the past, there has also been the odd occasion when a major storyline development has taken place to set up a rivalry for the future.

In 2012, for example, the 1000th episode of Raw ended with CM Punk attacking The Rock, turning “The Best In The World” into a heel and setting up a match between the two men six months later.

In John Cena’s case, there is not one obvious person on the WWE roster who he should face when he next makes his in-ring comeback, but there are plenty of Superstars who could fill that role if WWE has a long-term plan in place for his next opponent.

Drew McIntyre? Samoa Joe? Bobby Lashley? Sami Zayn? Daniel Bryan? Somebody from NXT, like Velveteen Dream or Matt Riddle?

The last major reunion episode of Raw, Raw 25, was widely viewed as a disappointment, so perhaps more emphasis on Past vs. Future could leave fans feeling more hopeful after the show.

#1 Another “Doctor of Thuganomics” rap

From 2002-2005, John Cena performed freestyle raps on his opponents and referred to himself as “The Doctor of Thuganomics”. This year, after a 14-year absence, Cena brought back the unique character at WrestleMania 35 to interrupt – and subsequently insult – Elias.

It might be viewed as overkill if Cena decided to perform as the character for the second time in a little over three months, but you can guarantee that his punchlines would get huge reactions from the fans in attendance in Tampa, Florida, just like in the segment with Elias earlier this year.

On this occasion, he has lots of potential targets to aim insults at, with his former SummerSlam rival Baron Corbin being at the top of that list. Shane McMahon is another heel who Cena could destroy on the mic, or how about The Revival?

Either way, much like how Superstars used to be elevated just by working with The Rock, Cena can have the same impact if he spits some bars on a member of the current roster.