5 Roles for Potential Rock, John Cena Returns at WWE SummerSlam 2023

If John Cena's surprise appearance at Money in the Bank on July 1 was any indication, fans shouldn't rule out the possibility of the 16-time world champion–and other familiar faces–returning at any given time.

SAG-AFTRA recently joining the Writers Guild of America in the ongoing Hollywood labor strike has halted production of most movies and television shows until a deal is reached between the two sides.

As a result, stars such as Cena and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson could be off the silver screen for the foreseeable future.

Both are bound to be busy with other projects that will ensure their schedules stay stacked, but there's always the chance either of them could make a quick pit stop at WWE to keep their creative juices flowing while their acting careers are on hiatus.

SummerSlam in Detroit on August 5 would be as perfect of a place as any for them to resurface, and these five potential roles could be how they make their presence felt.

Serving as the SummerSlam Host

The most obvious option for either The Rock or Cena would be to serve as the SummerSlam host this year.

Rock has hosted a handful of pay-per-views for WWE in the past, most notably WrestleManias 27 and 32. Although he got physical on both occasions (even having a six-second match at the latter event), that doesn't need to be the case in Detroit this year.

Interestingly, The Great One hasn't made an appearance at The Biggest Party of the Summer since 2002 when he lost the WWE title in a blockbuster bout with Brock Lesnar. It was the only "Big 4" event that alluded him during his last run with the company a decade ago.

Cena, on the other hand, has hosting experience from outside of WWE and would bring a fun vibe to SummerSlam as the master of ceremonies. It might be too soon for him as a host, though, considering he's fresh off an appearance at Money in the Bank where he spent most of the segment hyping up the crowd.

It might be too late to announce Rock or Cena for the event ahead of time, but being brought in as a last-minute mystery host would work just as well.

Exacting Revenge on Austin Theory

For Cena specifically, exacting revenge on Austin Theory for what went down at WrestleMania might be a top priority.

'Mania marked Cena's last televised match to date. He challenged Theory for the United States Championship and fell short after the titleholder cheated to secure the win.

It was a mediocre match at best and easily Cena's weakest in several years, and the two are capable of much better.

Of course, it's too late to begin building toward a rematch at SummerSlam, especially with a new No. 1 contender set to be crowned this Friday on SmackDown, but it's possible Cena gives the holder of the star-spangled prize his comeuppance at the event without actually wrestling him.

It could plant the seeds for another encounter down the road when the veteran is ready to return for another run, or act as a definitive conclusion to their short-lived storyline with Cena standing tall.

Theory's stock can't possibly drop much further than it already has, and having him endure one last Attitude Adjustment should stop him from boasting about beating Cena once and for all.

Interrupting or Facing Grayson Waller

Both Cena and Rock have a bone to pick with Grayson Waller at the moment, making the Aussie loudmouth a primary target for them at SummerSlam.

At Money in the Bank, it was Waller who interrupted Cena while he was addressing the audience to tell him he had the privilege of sharing the ring with the NXT alum. Their brief back-and-forth ended with Waller getting laid out with an Attitude Adjustment.

Fightful Select reported that the appearance of Cena was intended to be a one-off and not a way to set up a future match between the two, but it would make sense for them to pick up where they left off if The Cenation Leader did resurface at SummerSlam.

Rock has made an enemy out of Waller as well following their recent exchange on social media. During an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, the 33-year-old responded by inviting the Hollywood star to be on The Grayson Waller Effect at SummerSlam.

Waller getting either icon on his signature talk show at Ford Field would be huge and get him one step closer to superstardom, regardless of whether he is left looking up at the lights.

Interacting with LA Knight

Much like Grayson Waller, LA Knight would benefit big time from interacting with either Rock or Cena on one of WWE's biggest stages.

Knight has become more and more of a fan favorite with the WWE Universe these past few months despite not being booked in a meaningful manner. He's had his name chanted on shows he's not slated to appear on and receives raucous reactions when he does pop up.

Needless to say, the company has something special with The Megastar that it should be capitalizing on as quickly as possible. The SummerSlam card looks to be complete and he isn't on it, but nothing is stopping WWE Creative from putting him in a quick segment with a legend the caliber of Rock or Cena.

Fans have often drawn similarities between Knight and The Rock, and if WWE wants to cement the former's status as a babyface, then having the latter endorse him would be the right route to take. Knight could also prove he can hang with Cena verbally and that would boost his credibility in the eyes of the audience that much more.

An electric response to a segment involving Knight and either Cena or Rock at SummerSlam should be enough to convince officials that The Megastar is indeed the real deal.

Confronting Roman Reigns

It was two years ago at SummerSlam that John Cena fought for what would have been his record-setting 17th world title in WWE against universal champion Roman Reigns.

Despite a valiant effort, he was unsuccessful, and he hasn't attempted to capture gold again since.

Reigns is 2-0 against Cena in singles competition, and there's no reason for that rivalry to be revisited. And it almost wouldn't be realistic for The Rock to return to WWE and do anything else but confront Reigns and the rest of The Bloodline.

Rock and Reigns have had zero interaction on WWE TV since the latter became The Tribal Chief, and given the heavy emphasis on the Anoa'i family throughout the storyline, The Great One's absence has been stunning.

WrestleMania Goes Hollywood in April felt like WWE's last chance to book Reigns vs. Rock, but having the latter factor into the "Trial Combat" match between The Tribal Chief and Jey Uso in some way could bring the story full circle and even the odds for the underdog.

Although a full-blown Rock run is highly unlikely at this point, a passing-of-the-torch moment with him and Reigns or Uso at SummerSlam could close out this chapter of the Bloodline saga in captivating fashion.

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Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.