WWE Hell in a Cell 2012: Update on John Cena's Status for the Show

Will John Cena be able to make the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view on October 28 and take on CM Punk for the WWE Championship?

Due to the star's recent elbow surgery, his appearance on the card is far from certain, with WWE seemingly positioning upcoming babyface star Ryback as a backup plan in the event Cena won't be ready.

In fact, on this week's action-packed Raw, a returning Vince McMahon announced to CM Punk that he would either face Cena or Ryback at the pay-per-view, and that he had until next week to decide or Vince would choose for him. Punk didn't look too happy with either possibility.

In this week's (subscribers-only) Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Dave Meltzer gives an update, claiming the situation is still touch-and-go, with even those in the company being unsure as to whether Cena will be able to perform:

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Cena has very limited usage of one of his arms because his surgery was more extensive than expected. He is going to do everything he can to be ready, but several in the company have noted that it is far from a certainty. The decision is going to be made this week whether Cena will be ready to do a match, noting the expectations of a Hell in a Cell match are pretty high and it’s difficult to fake ones way through it.  

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Meltzer goes on to note that the company is continuing to build up the Ryback/CM Punk program, just in case: “Punk vs. Ryback has been teased both for house shows, where it will start headlining this week, but also as the backup plan for the PPV if Cena won’t be ready.”