WWE: What Awaits John Cena After WrestleMania 28?

As of this moment, both the WWE and its fans are waiting with great anticipation to see the epic John Cena vs. Rock bout at WrestleMania 28.

But what happens after April 1?

While The Rock will be on Raw the following night, odds are he'll soon be back on a movie set until at least SummerSlam 2012.

That leaves John Cena, who, regardless of whether his character turns heel or stays the same, will have no choice but to move on to another feud.

Assuming Cena maintains his current babyface character, his next opponent beyond The Rock should be a heel who has credibility with the audience. A riveting challenger in this case would be Daniel Bryan, who is bound to drop his world heavyweight title to the surging Sheamus at WrestleMania.

Conversely, if Cena turns to the dark side as a result of perhaps losing outright to The Rock, a resilient babyface to oppose him would be necessary. In this case, Zack Ryder, who already has cause to question Cena, would be the ideal choice.

Daniel Bryan

As long as there are no major changes to Cena's image, Daniel Bryan would serve as a reputable adversary.

What Bryan lacks in size, he makes up for in intestinal fortitude, ring savvy and smarminess.

Like Punk, Bryan would push Cena to his limits in the ring to the tune of a series of well-worked matches in what could be a memorable summer program.

And because he's skilled at getting under people's skin, Bryan would get fans to cheer Cena, who, as the company's flag-bearer, could use all the endorsement he can get.

Consequently, if the goal is to continue rehabilitating Cena's damaged babyface character, Bryan's traditional heel portrayal would be the cure.

Zack Ryder

On the other hand, if Cena does the unthinkable and finally turns heel, Zack Ryder would the natural pick to challenge him.

Going after Cena "for the fans" would be an excellent way to not only legitimize Ryder, but to galvanize the audience to get fully behind him if they weren't already.

That being said, The Long Island native would need to abandon some of the mid-card aspects of his character—such as his goofy facial expressions and eye-rolling sayings—in order to be taken seriously.

Like Sting or Lex Luger in the now-defunct WCW, Ryder would rally the WWE Universe to ensure Cena, a la Hollywood Hogan, gets his comeuppance for turning his back on his loyal followers.

Needless to say, no matter who John Cena feuds with in the wake of WrestleMania 28, one would expect the rest of 2012 to highlight him extensively.

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