WWE fans haven't seen John Cena in a wrestling ring since SummerSlam in 2021, where he lost to Roman Reigns, but he might be planting seeds for a comeback match against Theory. Cena has stayed busy in Hollywood but speaks highly of his time as a wrestler any time he's given the opportunity to do so. While his return is far from imminent, stranger things have happened than Cena showing up to do a one-off at a premium live event.
Theory has been labeled the next John Cena internally in WWE. That's a tremendous amount of pressure for Vince McMahon's on-screen protege, but so far his run with the United States Championship has kept him involved in various angles on television. Due to those comparisons, a bout between the two makes sense on paper, and Cena might be leaning into that a bit with recent comments.
In an Instagram post, Theory tossed out the idea of squaring off with Cena at this year's SummerSlam, and during a recent Q and A session on WWE's TikTok account, The Face That Runs The Place mentioned the young superstar a few times. When asked who his favorite current WWE superstar is, he answered with "Theory" before giving the I'm-watching-you hand gesture. The very next question was about which current WWE superstar is most in need of an Attitude Adjustment, and Cena said "Theory" again, before going back to the I'm-watching-you motion.
This could be nothing, but it is well known that McMahon detests teasing matches that WWE can't follow up on. Cena is a WWE guy through and through, and he of all people would know that. If this was on a personal TikTok or Instagram account, then perhaps it'd carry a bit less water, but this is an official WWE social media channel, and as of this writing, the clip has garnered more than 130,000 likes and nearly 2,500 c0mments. What a turn of events that would be for SummerSlam.
Theory is involved in an ongoing feud with Mustafa Ali, and those two will square off at the upcoming Hell In A Cell premium live event. Good as Ali is, a match with him isn't going to put Theory on a new level in terms of his star power. A bout with Cena, on the other hand, would very much elevate Theory in the eyes of WWE fans, and would give a boost to the United States Championship as well. Audiences may remember Cena's run with that title during which he did open challenges as a way to build underutilized performers or NXT call-ups. Perhaps the US Championship still means a lot to Cena, and the opportunity to give Theory the rub while holding that title would be a solid use of Cena at this stage of his career. With a possible return of The Rock, it could be a wild build to WrestleMania 39 for WWE fans.
Source: TikTok