6 Potential John Cena Matches for WWE WrestleMania 40

John Cena's lengthy return to WWE has many fans wondering one thing: What's his outlook for WrestleMania 40?

For now, he is in the LA Knight orbit as that rocket ship takes off, throwing his weight around in promos and tag matches. But it wasn't that long ago that he was at WrestleMania 39 putting over Austin Theory in a big way.

What's interesting now is what the 46-year-old might want to do with what could be one of his final major appearances. Will he put over another up-and-coming star to leave WWE better off when he leaves, flirt with the idea of a retirement match or strike a nice balance?

With so many interesting things going on in WWE right now, it's impossible not to get excited about the options.

Here are a handful of possible matches for Cena that would make sense at WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia come April 6-7 next year.

The Judgment Day

The Judgment Day is one of the best things in WWE right now and, for these purposes, the members count as a package deal.

Cena and Finn Bálor don't have a storied history or anything dramatic, but the former did endorse the latter as a worthy challenger for the Universal Championship in 2019.

Fun as it would be to see Cena fight The Demon, this is more about Dominik Mysterio and even Rhea Ripley.

The 16-time world champion in WWE has quite the history against the Mysterio name that could make for an all-timer of a feud while helping to put over a fast-riser who might just be the best heel in pro wrestling.

Oh, and it would be fun to see Cena get dropped by Ripley at least once.

This would require the stable to still be intact—at least largely so—by WrestleMania 40, but that Mysterio match and the surrounding elements would be a ton of fun.

LA Knight

Sure, Cena and LA Knight are friends as of this writing. But it doesn't have to last.

Matter of fact, it would be downright compelling to see how live crowds side with or against the two Superstars when they engage in promo battles. Cena has a lot of good graces as a returning legend right now, but Knight might be the most over with crowds this side of the Yes! movement.

Even in the ring, the two would seem to mesh nicely with a slower, impactful style that tells a fun story. But this is more about the build: Cena lambasting Knight for "copying" Attitude Era legends he actually fought, and Knight looking to retire a has-been. It's potentially great stuff.

This only happens, of course, if Knight isn't in a title scene elsewhere. He is so over with the fans at the moment that it would be easy to see him challenging for a title or even in Roman Reigns' orbit by the time 'Mania arrives.

Solo Sikoa

Speaking of Reigns' orbit, we can't omit Solo Sikoa.

Yes, Cena and Sikoa are involved right now. But it could merely be an appetizer of what's to come, because propping up one of the company's fastest-rising stars against the WWE icon on the biggest stage possible makes too much sense.

There's a ton of interesting history worth bringing up in this feud too, given Cena's longtime connections to the Anoa'i family.

It would seem to fit just fine, presuming the Bloodline's enforcer isn't accelerated into the spot of being the one to challenge Reigns. That seems earmarked for either The Rock or Cody Rhodes, so he'll need something to do at 'Mania.

Would this be a retirement match for Cena? Maybe not, but Sikoa looking great would work wonders, especially if he's the one picked to potentially assume a Reigns-style role in WWE if and when the current Tribal Chief steps back a bit.

Gunther

The idea of Cena getting the best of Gunther on a stage such as WrestleMania is a controversial one—and rightfully so.

But...Cena has never won the Intercontinental Championship.

There would be something special about him finally earning his Grand Slam champion status near the end of his career on a stage like that.

And Gunther wouldn't be too negatively impacted because we know the feud will make him look good, he's coming off a historic run and is 100 percent guaranteed to be in the world title scene for a long time.

If one had to pick a spot for Gunther to lose, at 'Mania against Cena before getting into the mix for top titles is about as good as it gets. And Cena going on to drop the belt to someone else who needs a Grand Slam (Sheamus?) or a fast-riser would be quite impactful.

Logan Paul

It doesn't get much bigger than this.

Logan Paul has been great at this whole pro wrestling thing, to the point that he leapfrogged quite a few folks in the locker room upon his arrival with his promo and in-ring ability.

The social media star hasn't been shy about wanting to face Cena either, and why not? All he's done is create great spectacles since arriving, having memorable feuds and matches against Seth Rollins, Rey Mysterio, The Miz and Roman Reigns.

Cena and Paul are opposites in a lot of ways, especially as the latter fits naturally into a heel role. That makes them perfect dance partners for a versatile matchup that could slot anywhere from opener to main event on either night of WrestleMania.

Outside of The Rock being available against Reigns, this is probably the biggest spectacle match WWE could make.

Cody Rhodes

Yeah, Cody Rhodes has to "finish the story" against Reigns.

But there's a story with Cena, too.

The two men have a notable history with each other and a lot of respect shared between them. The American Nightmare's quick ascension to challenge Reigns at 'Mania 39 even spoiled a reported internal push to have him face The Champ.

So, why not now? It doesn't necessarily feel like Rhodes will head for Reigns again, especially after that recent appearance by The Rock. And a lot can happen between now and next April, such as WWE veering to a different Reigns-centric angle, like a Sikoa, LA Knight or even Seth Rollins.

Technically speaking, Rhodes feuding with Cena would be a downgrade after his big return from All Elite Wrestling. But not really, and going from a huge feud with Brock Lesnar to potentially retiring the WWE legend at 'Mania would make for quite the highlight reel of a year.

If a match at WrestleMania 40 is one of Cena's last, if not the actual goodbye, it's hard to name more Superstars who should be doing the deed.