John Cena: Best Feuds and Predictions After WWE Night of Champions

Now that John Cena has regained the WWE United States Championship from Seth Rollins at the Night of Champions pay-per-view, it's time to start looking ahead to his next potential feud. 

The problem is, there's nothing very clear on the horizon. 

Tradition would dictate that Rollins would ask for a rematch at Hell in a Cell, as the Superstars are deadlocked with one win apiece in their two previous pay-per-view matchups. However, the emergence of Kane and the looming threat of Sheamus cashing in his Money in the Bank briefcase seem like they will preoccupy the WWE champion. 

That leaves Cena without a dance partner leading into the next pay-per-view. That's not necessarily a bad thing, as it allows one of the most entertaining aspects of WWE programming over the last year to return unfettered: Cena's open challenges for his U.S. title on Raw. 

Cena even teased as much following his win at Night of Champions in a WWE.com exclusive interview:

Having Cena preoccupied with his open challenges gives WWE Creative some breathing room, allowing it to focus on other feuds at Hell in a Cell (Rollins vs. Kane, the recently announced Brock Lesnar vs. Undertaker rematch), while letting Cena go on cruise control in entertaining matches. 

It also gives WWE a chance to vet the current midcard to find a suitable opponent for Cena's next long-term feud heading into Hell in a Cell in four weeks. Who could that be? There are a couple of options.

Dolph Ziggler

Cena has wrestled a majority of the midcard in his previous U.S. open challenges, but there's one name that has yet to come up: Dolph Ziggler.

Assuming Ziggler is done with his feud with Rusev, he would be a great opponent for Cena. Besides being one of the better performers on the main roster, there is a natural story to tell between the two wrestlers.

Remember that it was Ziggler who single-handedly defeated The Authority at last year's Survivor Series. However, Cena was given all the glory for that victory, which resulted in the kayfabe firing of Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan.

One could argue that this moment started the downward spiral Ziggler remains in today. The decision to team with Cena at that event led to Ziggler being attacked numerous times by The Authority, eventually resulting in the loss of his Intercontinental Championship.

Since then, it's been one dead-end feud after another. Coming for payback from Cena, who's experienced a renaissance during his U.S. title reign and never felt the wrath of The Authority, would be a fitting move for Ziggler.

Cesaro

Cesaro would be a perfect foil for Kevin Owens' new intercontinental title reign, but it's likely Ryback will be pitted against the new champion for quite some time. 

That leaves The Swiss Superman free to feud with Cena, with whom he's developed a superior in-ring chemistry, resulting in some of the most entertaining television matches of the year. 

If WWE is looking to give fans enjoyable matches with little long-term implications, there are worse options than stringing a couple of Cesaro vs. Cena matches together, culminating in a pay-per-view event. Who wouldn't enjoy seeing Cesaro vs. Cena in a best 2-out-of-3 Falls match, or even a 30-minute Iron Man match?

It would help to remind casual fans why Cesaro is one of the best wrestlers in the company. It would also help make Cesaro an even more sympathetic figure, which he could use when he finally does break through, which will likely be against Owens when they eventually begin to tango for the IC belt.

Samoa Joe

Cena will probably face someone from the developmental series in the lead-up to NXT TakeOver: Respect on October 7. 

While guys like Tyler Breeze and Baron Corbin could benefit by getting in the ring with Cena, neither would be a real threat to the champion. Finn Balor, the current NXT champion, would be a good option, but that would be too similar to Kevin Owens' debut. 

Samoa Joe, however, would be an excellent option. 

Currently teaming with Balor for The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic, Joe's pedigree suggests he won't be in NXT for long. If Balor and Joe feud following their team-up, that would mean that Joe would stay in NXT through December, which is far too long for a seasoned veteran like himself. 

Plus, the impending returns of Hideo Itami and Sami Zayn will ensure that there are multiple challengers for Balor's title. WWE could bring Joe in for a match prior to TakeOver: Respect. As a guy who's performed on TV plenty of times before and in front of large crowds, Joe wouldn't be frazzled by the stage on Raw.

The Samoan Submission Machine could give Cena a real run for his title. Depending on Triple H's plans for him, the former Ring of Honor and TNA champion could be a long-term option to feud with Cena.