What a SummerSlam Loss Would Mean for John Cena's WWE Career

John Cena's career has been filled with triumphs, extreme hate and love from the WWE fans. He has become the face of the long-suffering WWE superstar in recent months, though.

He has continuously been the guy lying flat on his back in the ring at the conclusion of major WWE shows. CeNation and his haters have watched as his rivals have had their theme song played as the WWE credits appear at the bottom of the screen.

Even in his few moments of victory, he would be stung shortly thereafter. 

We all know he came up short in an epic match against the Rock at WrestleMania. He quickly failed to cash in on the Money in the Bank opportunity on Raw 1000. He humiliated John Laurinaitis at Over the Limit before Big Show KO'd him to regain his job.

Cena's three biggest wins of the year came over Big Show at No Way Out, over Show and others at Money in the Bank and Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules. But only two of those wins really closed the door on a significant chapter or feud.

These are hardly on par with the matches he's lost, and they are far less than what you'd expect from the WWE's ultimate face.

Cena has been on the wrong end of a ton of WWE cliffhangers in 2012. Is SummerSlam the event where he finally comes out on top?

If he loses again it will damage his persona, but it surely seems as if that is coming.

CM Punk seems destined to be the WWE champion by the time WrestleMania XXIX rolls around in April of 2013. His epic clash with the Rock seems etched in stone after Punk hit the Great One with the Go to Sleep at Raw 1000.

They will likely meet at the Royal Rumble, but something tells me Punk and the Rock will have a date in New York as well.

Would the WWE allow Cena to take the title from Punk four months before the WrestleMania hype machine hits its stride? 

It's possible Punk could lose the title, but that would dull his clash with the Rock—even if he regains it before April.

Furthermore, would the WWE insult Cena with an abbreviated reign as champion?

This points to yet another disappointing event for Cena and his fans. It is possible that the WWE is overestimating the strength of the persona Cena has established.

Consistent losses in huge matches will be damaging to any superstar's reputation—even someone as big as Cena.

We will have to wait until Sunday to see what's next for him, but it isn't looking good.

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