Could WWE's John Cena Face 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin at WrestleMania 29?

WrestleMania 29 could be even bigger than WrestleMania 28 if WWE pits John Cena against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.  The potential dream match as it stands now, though, is just wishful thinking.

Austin is not guaranteed to even be at WrestleMania 29 and could be taking on CM Punk rather than Cena.

WWE's creative plans are constantly in flux, and any that involve the Texas Rattlesnake have to be approached with a wait-and-see attitude. 

As long as Austin is able to walk, there will be speculation about him returning for one more match.  He represents WWE's highest point.

He helps recall a time when wrestling left fans feverish. 

The Raw 1,000 broadcast fed fans a number of strong hints at a possible meeting for two of the most popular superstars of all time.  It showed clips of Cena and Austin battling it out in the new video game, WWE '13. 

Was this just an exploration of the hypothetical or an attempt to gauge the popularity of the idea?

Rumors have been heating up about Austin making a return.  If he is indeed healthy enough to wrestle again, if his short-term comeback doesn't have Punk’s name all over it, Cena is the next logical choice. 

Is He Ready to Come Back?

Austin was rumored to be one of the many returning stars to appear on Raw 1,000.  According to his personal website, he didn't show because he's recovering from knee surgery. 

As he's in his late 40s, recovery should be slow going. 

Yes, WrestleMania 29 is several months away, but this isn't a new issue for Austin.  The knee braces he wore for much of his career weren't for show.  Austin doesn't rely on a ton of high-flying moves and should be fine even if he is a bit creaky. 

There's also the issue of his neck.

Austin's neck will never be the same after that botched tombstone piledriver from Owen Hart all those years ago.  It should be good enough to take a handful of bumps, though.

In an interview with ZooToday.com, Austin said, "I am in really good shape right now" and that his "neck is fine."

Austin won't ever be in the kind of shape a full-time WWE schedule requires but should be good to go for a single match, braced knees or not.   

CM Punk vs. Stone Cold?

The question is then whether a short-lived Stone Cold comeback would be against Cena or CM Punk. 

Getting Austin to come out of retirement is going take a significant amount of money.  While a match with Cena may make more money for WWE, Austin may prefer to have his last go-round against Punk. 

In an interview in The Sun, Austin said of a possible match involving Punk: "I'd say that he is the guy I'd pick to face."

WWE seems ready to oblige him. 

F4WOnline (via WrestlingInc.com) reports that WWE is considering having CM Punk battle Austin, and Cena go up against the Undertaker.   

These kinds of reports often shift from month to month, as Vince McMahon and his wrestling think tank change their minds.    

The Wrestling Observer by way of WrestlingInc.com reported that Punk vs. Austin is at this point "more likely a no than a yes."

Fans will have to wait and see if WWE can even convince Austin to wrestle.  He has the clout to be able to handpick his opponent, so even if Cena fans and McMahon want Cena vs. Austin, a showdown with Punk is more likely.

What Would Cena vs. Austin Be Like?

While Punk vs. Austin would be the better wrestling match, Cena and Austin would be the bigger money-maker. It would rival Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock in terms of name power. 

Similarly, it would feed off the debate of two generations' top stars.

Even though Austin will be close to 50 years old by the time he laces up for this showdown, his star power alone makes this a must-see match.   

Cena has earned a reputation for delivering when the spotlight shines the brightest, and there's no reason to think he wouldn't do it again. 

The action could be brawl-heavy with both men at their best in a slugfest.  The crowd would be split and react zealously to every move. 

Cena vs. Austin would be one of the biggest and most talked about clashes in wrestling history regardless of how the action played out in the ring. 

This dream match is a strong possibility.  At this point, though, it's not something fans should count on. 

Unlike WrestleMania 28, where fans knew who'd headline the event an entire year in advance, WrestleMania 29's match card may be taking several shapes before settling into its final form.