Predicting When WWE Books John Cena vs. CM Punk Dream Match Amid Rumors

CM Punk and John Cena provided fans with one of the great rivalries of the last two decades, and it's only a matter of time until they once again stand across the ring from each other, ready to write its latest chapter, per Mike Johnson of PWInsider.com (h/t Cageside Seats).

When is that time, though?

With WWE returning to Los Angeles for Money in the Bank, a show at which they delivered one of the most iconic matches in company history back in 2011, one would have thought it would be the perfect setting for a contest of that magnitude.

With time running out to make that happen, thanks to an unusually early June 7 date for the midsummer fan-favorite extravaganza, the next best option for that contest accompanies a historic first.

A Two-Night Summertime Spectacular

For the first time in company history, WWE will adopt the two-night format that has been so wildly successful for WrestleMania when it takes over MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey for this year's SummerSlam.

With such a format, though, comes the need to build a card that can sell tickets to both nights. It is a huge ask to be able to come up with a lineup that can get fans to invest their time and money into two consecutive nights of WWE action without that blockbuster, must-see match.

Enter, Punk vs. Cena.

The story is already there.

Punk was the Batman to Cena's Superman; a voice for the voiceless and a guy who was willing to do what was necessary when fans were growing tired of his rival's cookie-cutter good guy shtick. They had flawless chemistry on the mic and in the ring, resulting in classic match-ups and the sort of character work that kept fans invested in everything they did.

Fast-forward 14 years after their epic encounter in Chicago, which jump-started the program and confirmed Punk's star in the WWE Universe, and you have two men who are older, wiser, and at different points in their careers.

Cena is now a heel, betraying fans' love and support amid a retirement tour that will see him hang up his Reebok Pumps in December. Punk is the grizzled vet who finally achieved industry superstardom but has retained that "man of the people" mentality.

Punk criticizes Cena for turning his back on everything he believes is a story with plenty of legs, especially since the Chicago native was always quick to call his foe out for what he perceives to be phoniness. There is no need for an abundance of creativity to get that match in the ring, just two all-time greats and a pair of microphones. From there, the marquee match on the biggest card of the summer would be set.

But what if it does not happen at MetLife Stadium? When, then, does that rivalry come to a close?

If Not Then, When?

The problem is that WWE may have booked itself into a corner with the strict one-year retirement tour for Cena. One would figure that there is a rematch with Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line coming up at some point soon, the follow-up to their WrestleMania 41 contest.

There is also an inevitable Cena babyface turn in time for him to go out as the hero to the masses that he has always been. One would surmise that we will start to see the storyline elements necessary to make that happen sooner rather than later, especially if the goal is not to cheapen Cena's emotional rollercoaster in this, his final run.

It could begin as soon as Saturday Night's Main Event and his match-up with R-Truth as Cena starts to feel remorse for his actions and the moral conflict that turning heel has placed him in.

If that is the case, when could Cena and Punk deliver the build and the match itself that a pairing that is that historically significant deserves?

Perhaps in November at Survivor Series, as part of WWE's debut at Petco Park. Maybe it comes in France at WWE Clash in Paris, though that feels like it would be shorting fans in America, where the majority of that rivalry played out.

Considering the timing, the Superstars at play, and Cena's delicate juggling of his character over his last six months as a professional wrestler, SummerSlam really is the best (if not the only) option available for the company.

Hold off on the Rhodes match, set aside any Travis Scott nonsense, and let two of the best to ever do it try and deliver one last, great match-up for the fans, the company, and themselves at a show where, in 2011, they tore the house down before.