Ranking John Cena's Most Likely Opponents for WWE SummerSlam 2017
When John Cena steps into the ring at WWE SummerSlam 2017, it could be against a beast, a monster or a big dog.
WWE may look to elevate an emerging talent, tap into nostalgia or pit the powerhouse against wrestling's next great monster. The options are plentiful. The one certainty is that a marquee matchup is on the way for one of company's top stars at the August 20 pay-per-view.
Cena returned after a three-month hiatus to SmackDown on Tuesday night. He challenged Rusev to a flag match for the blue brand's next PPV, Battleground.
That's surely a warmup bout for what's ahead at SummerSlam.
Another go-round with The Bulgarian Brute isn't SummerSlam-worthy. WWE has too many money matches on the table, especially because it is billing Cena as a free agent.
Read on for a look at the five most likely candidates to be standing opposite Cena come the summer blockbuster. The rivals that would provide the best stories and biggest matches comprise the list.
Other Possibilities
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- Finn Balor
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- Brock Lesnar
- Kevin Owens
Balor and Nakamura would be fun options. They would both produce something electric against Cena. WWE simply isn't treating either former NXT champ as someone on Cena's level, though.
Nakamura is in a feud with Baron Corbin. Balor is battling Elias Samson of all people.
There's a good chance those rivalries ended up being a part of SummerSlam. A date with Cena will have to wait until both men are built up more.
As for Lesnar and Owens, there is history to tap into with those enemies. Neither option would be fresh enough, however. We've seen Cena feud with Lesnar as recently as 2014. KO clashed with Cena in 2015.
If WWE is going to go for an old foe, it will more likely be someone who hasn't faced Cena in a far longer time.
5. Kurt Angle
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The Raw general manager hasn't competed in a WWE ring since 2006. Kurt Angle is on the brink of full retirement but likely has a handful of matches left in him.
Should he wrestle at SummerSlam, there are few names bigger to face him than Cena.
Their history makes this an easy story to write. Angle defeated Cena in his SmackDown debut. They feuded beginning in the early '00s. They could now want to wrap up unfinished business.
This would be a tremendous match even with Angle being past his prime. And while it's a rehash of a rivalry, it's one fans haven't seen in over a decade.
There's no guarantee Angle will wrestle at the event, though. WWE could want to save his return match for WrestleMania.
4. Samoa Joe
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Should Samoa Joe fall to Brock Lesnar at Sunday's Great Balls of Fire PPV, the champ would likely move on to face Roman Reigns or Braun Strowman. Joe would be minus a dance partner despite all the momentum he's built over the past few weeks.
Joe vs. Cena would be a first-time matchup, a slugfest with great potential.
WWE could further Joe's rise by having him conquer Cena. The move would continue to treat The Destroyer like a marquee talent.
There's a classic hero-versus-monster tale to tell here. And WWE could play this up as a dream match between guys who took different paths, much as it did with Cena and AJ Styles.
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3. Roman Reigns
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This megabout has to happen eventually.
Cena has long been WWE's golden boy. Reigns has since taken over that spot. This would be a battle of two of the most polarizing figures in company history, two guys who rarely lose and two superheroes of the squared circle.
From an entertainment standpoint, it's one of WWE"s best options for Cena at SummerSlam.
Should Reigns lose to Strowman at Sunday's PPV, the heel could go on to face the universal champ. The Big Dog would need someone to vent his frustrations on. Making that man Cena would result in a huge bout.
The only question is whether WWE would go that route at SummerSlam rather than WrestleMania. This is a match befitting the main event of The Show of Shows.
2. Braun Strowman
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A slobberknocker for the ages is up for grabs come SummerSlam.
Facing Strowman is the most physical option for Cena this summer. The match would not only be an entertaining smashmouth showdown, it would be a career-changer for The Monster Among Men. WWE has made it clear that it is high on Strowman, and making him Cena's foe here would help him continue his ascent.
The scenario that would lead to this is simple. Strowman would lose to Reigns at Great Balls of Fire. He'd be furious and demand another match.
Raw GM Angle would oblige him by bringing in Cena as a free agent.
This route allows Reigns to face Lesnar should WWE want to go that route, and Strowman could shrug off his loss to The Big Dog by sinking his claws into even bigger prey.
1. Jinder Mahal
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Reigns, Angle and Lesnar are bigger names, but Jinder Mahal's gimmick and the championship he carries around make him an obvious SummerSlam opponent for Cena.
Mahal's anti-American rhetoric is sure to perk up Cena's ears eventually. Cena will want to go for world title run No. 17 to break Ric Flair's all-time record. That alone makes The Maharaja a likely candidate to face him.
Plus, WWE has made a great effort in building up Mahal in the past two months. It can further establish him as a headliner by having him collide with Cena.
This option would leave Strowman and Lesnar as well as Joe and Reigns free to fight each other post-Great Balls of Fire. Cena could mostly remain on SmackDown as he pursued Mahal to help that show's ratings.
A patriot-versus-foreigner narrative is a trope WWE is likely to fall into when making its SummerSlam plans.
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