Booking WWE's Road to John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes' WrestleMania Rematch

What should have been an exciting last ride for John Cena in WWE has been anything but so far.

The seemingly abrupt decision to turn him heel has backfired in a major way and hindered his historic 17th reign as world champion considerably.

It also overshadowed his WrestleMania 41 match with Cody Rhodes that culminated with Cena winning in underwhelming fashion thanks to an assist from rapper Travis Scott.

Although renewed rivalries with Randy Orton and CM Punk have been highlights, the overall lackluster quality of his title run has left fans hoping WWE will expedite the storyline and skip to Cena turning back babyface sooner than expected.

The 48-year-old is set to battle Ron Killings this week on SmackDown and Punk at Night of Champions on June 28, but all signs point to Rhodes being the one to dethrone The Unseen 17 at SummerSlam on August 2-3.

The American Nightmare previously pinned Cena in the tag team main event at Money in the Bank on June 7 and is clearly gunning for another opportunity at the Undisputed WWE Championship.

This is how the road to their inevitable WrestleMania rematch should be booked.

Cena Loses to Ron Killings on SmackDown

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It would have been easy for Cena's quick defeat of R-Truth at the last installment of Saturday Night's Main Event on May 24 to mark the end of their story, especially with Truth revealing a week later his contract legitimately wasn't being renewed by WWE.

The outpouring of support online from fans and peers alike led to Truth being brought back by WWE and incorporated into the Money in the Bank main event, where he cost Cena his tag team match against Rhodes and Jey Uso.

Now going by Ron Killings, the former United States and tag team champion has attacked Cena on multiple occasions and vowed to continue targeting him until he puts respect on his name.

The two are scheduled to square off on Friday's SmackDown in what could turn out to be Cena's final outing on the blue brand.

With the sheer amount of momentum Killings has at the moment, it's imperative he walks away with the win. Punk can factor into the finish somehow to ensure Cena is humbled and hype their own championship clash for Night of Champions on June 28.

Of course, it would be logical for Killings to eventually challenge Cena for his title sometime this summer, but if the idea isn't for the face to win that rubber match, his chase for the championship should be revisited down the line when he can be positioned as the focal point.

Rhodes Fails to Become King of the Ring

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Rhodes was away from WWE TV following his loss of the Undisputed WWE Championship at WrestleMania, but he returned at Saturday Night's Main Event on May 24 by attacking Cena.

Following his tag team win over Cena and Logan Paul at Money in the Bank, Rhodes has shifted his sights toward becoming King of the Ring, a tournament that promises the winner a shot at their brand's world champion at SummerSlam.

He's already advanced to the semifinals after winning a Fatal 4-Way on the June 13 edition of SmackDown and will face Jey Uso in the next round on Raw this Monday.

With Uso just having lost the World Heavyweight Championship back to Gunther, Rhodes is a better fit for the finals at Night of Champions, where he'll meet either Sami Zayn or Randy Orton depending on the outcome of their SmackDown semifinal match on Friday.

As the only non-former world champion among the semifinalists, Zayn has the most to gain from capturing the crown. Rhodes winning would provide a simple setup to his SummerSlam clash with Cena, but Zayn overcoming the odds to challenge Gunther at SummerSlam is the stronger story to tell.

Cena Retains Against CM Punk at Night of Champions

Another advantage of Rhodes failing to become King of the Ring is that it makes Cena vs. Punk for the Undisputed WWE Championship at Night of Champions slightly less predictable.

Punk is widely regarded by fans to be Cena's greatest rival ever, so it was only appropriate for them to run it back one more time before The GOAT calls it a career.

The build has been rushed with Night of Champions happening a mere three weeks after Money in the Bank, but the match itself should deliver.

An encounter of this caliber should have been saved for SummerSlam, but the story with Cena and Rhodes has obviously taken precedence. Punk pulling off a shocker and taking the title would be a pleasant surprise, albeit an extremely unlikely one.

Cena will rebound from his SmackDown loss to Ron Killings by beating Punk and ending their decades-long rivalry on top. Expect him to resort to underhanded tactics to ensure victory, though.

As for Punk, his direction post-Night of Champions isn't as clear, but it's possible he resumes his rivalry with Seth Rollins' crew, enlists the help of a returning Roman Reigns or makes it known to Rhodes that he's waiting for him on the other side of SummerSlam.

Rhodes Beats Seth Rollins at Saturday Night's Main Event

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There have been multiple teases this month for a match between Rhodes and Rollins, two men who have had quite the storied history over the last decade-plus.

The American Nightmare confronted Rollins and Paul Heyman on the eve of Money in the Bank on SmackDown and saved Jey Uso from an attack at the hands of The Visionary and his crew on Monday's Raw.

It's safe to assume these hints weren't coincidental and WWE does indeed intend to have them run it back sooner rather than later. If Cena vs. Rhodes at SummerSlam is the endgame, then Saturday Night's Main Event in the latter's home state of Georgia on July 12 would be the perfect place for the Rollins bout.

The Visionary is currently in possession of the men's Money in the Bank briefcase and should tease cashing in on Cena, only for Rhodes to thwart his attempt. With Rhodes falling short in the King of the Ring finals, a win over Rollins should be how he proves himself worthy of challenging Cena at SummerSlam.

As Mr. Money in the Bank, Rollins can afford the loss and Rhodes can remain undefeated against his longtime rival. It would be an excellent attraction for the show that will also feature Gunther vs. Goldberg for the World Heavyweight Championship, ideally in the main event.

Cena Loses to Rhodes at SummerSlam and Turns Back Babyface

Cena unseating Rhodes as undisputed WWE champion at WrestleMania 41 only made sense if The American Nightmare avenged the loss later in Cena's retirement tour.

Perhaps the plan was for The Last Real Champion to hold the title until his final match in December, but the heel run has been disappointing enough that it has to be cut short.

SummerSlam should be where Rhodes regains the gold from Cena and they redeem themselves after a less-than-stellar showing on The Grandest Stage of Them All. It's virtually guaranteed shenanigans will come into play, but Rhodes must go over, regardless.

Seeds have been planted dating back to Backlash for Cena to see the light, express remorse for his actions and embrace his old babyface persona. The turn doesn't necessarily need to happen at SummerSlam, but an immediate endorsement of Rhodes after losing to him would be the easiest solution.

That would allow Cena to spend the rest of the year as a fan favorite and work with some of the top heels on WWE's roster. Additionally, Rhodes will benefit from moving past this program with Cena and resuming his role as the face of the franchise.

There's any number of different directions WWE can go with Rhodes and Cena this summer, but the grand finale of the feud and how it should be booked remains the same.

Graham Mirmina, aka Graham "GSM" Matthews, has specialized in sports and entertainment writing since 2010. Visit his website, WrestleRant, and subscribe to his YouTube channel for more wrestling-related content.