Sheamus Would Be Perfect Foe for John Cena After Rusev

When the WWE made the bold move to "drop" John Cena down the card and pin the United States Championship on him at WrestleMania, it was a decision that was probably made with the next few months in mind.

Sure, a rematch against Rusev at the following pay-per-view was inevitable, and that's the way things have panned out with the planning for Extreme Rules.

But should Cena prevail in his match against the former United States champ this Sunday, it is likely that it will mean the end of the rivalry between those two men.

Which leaves the WWE looking around for another credible challenger to lock horns with Cena. With Cena in possession of the belt, long gone are the days of stars toward the lower end of the card getting a shot: WWE have to think big here.

And of all the heels the WWE have knocking around away from the main event scene at the moment, none seem quite as good a fit for Cena as the Irish brawler Sheamus, who has made quite the impression since returning to TV.

It's very reminiscent of his first few months with the company, when he burst onto the scene as a dominant heel who bullied, beat and generally destroyed anyone who crossed his path.

It's a run that has to be going somewhere, and it's a run you would imagine will continue this Sunday at Extreme Rules, when he locks horns with Dolph Ziggler on pay-per-view.

And with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship scene looking locked down for the next few months, it leaves Sheamus staring at a midcard championship as a realistic aim over the summer months.

So why not the United States Championship? It's a scenario that could benefit both men, in truth. Cena's open challenges on Raw every week are nice, and they help give the odd star a match in the spotlight, but they are plain and inevitable in their outcome.

They need to stop, and Cena needs a full-time feud for the United States title. He's still one of the biggest babyfaces in the WWE, and he needs legitimate challengers and rivals, much like Sheamus. That's not to disparage Rusev, who has been a commendable foe for Cena, but you feel like those two men will go their separate ways following Extreme Rules.

Let's not forget the two men have plenty of history, including numerous battles for the WWE Championship through the years.

Sheamus' return to his original gimmick also makes him an ideal foe for Cena away from the ring. He's very much playing the bully card, beating people down with a smile on his face and a carefree attitude.

His match against Zack Ryder recently was the perfect example of that—and that's everything Cena's character is supposed to stand against.

For Sheamus, the feud would help to keep his momentum going since his impressive return to TV. Wins and losses aren't everything these days—you only need to look at Dean Ambrose's pay-per-view record to justify that.

It's more how you work, how you talk and how you act. Cena vs. Sheamus could be one of the most relevant and interesting feuds of the summer, and it would certainly help to hammer some prestige into the United States Championship, which was the goal when it was pinned on Cena.