John Cena: Latest News and Buzz Surrounding Star Before WWE Fastlane 2016

John Cena may be both loved and hated, but he's also missed. That's because despite how much his shtick may be wearing thin with longtime WWE fans, it's his drawing power and big-fight booking that the company truly needs right now.

No one has either one quite like Cena does.

But WWE's top guy has been on the shelf since getting shoulder surgery back in January, and WWE has now become the Roman Reigns show. This has been good for Reigns, as it's allowed him to be the center of attention as the possible heir apparent to Cena.

However, that has hit a roadblock thanks to Triple H winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

Credit: WWE.com

Now, Reigns is once again on the ropes trying to get back on top, and main event monster Brock Lesnar could be used as nothing more than a means to get him there. With Seth Rollins, Randy Orton and even Sting still out of the game, WWE is in real need of some more star power.

Cena is that star power.

What better way to bring him back than by headlining WrestleMania 32 against The Undertaker? According to WrestlingInc.com, that indeed was the plan before Cena went out with surgery. If he were able to come back in time, it would give a main event the likes of which fans have only dreamed of.

There are only a handful of dream matches left in WWE, and this is one of them; The Deadman versus WWE's top guy on The Grandest Stage of Them All.

But timing is everything here, and that means Cena must get healthy and be ready to go.

For any fan keeping up with Cena's Twitter account, it's obvious he's teasing an imminent return. This may come as a surprise to many fans, but to others, it fits his character perfectly. This is where fiction and reality mix for Cena—as it always has.

He never gives up, he never backs down, and he always keeps fighting despite how much the odds are against him. He has more heart and more love for WWE than perhaps anyone else in the company—though he does not always receive that love back from fans.

That description fits both Cena the character and Cena the man perfectly.

Cena surely does not want to be away from the business any longer than his supporters want him to be. That means he is right back to work on his body, doing everything necessary to get himself in fighting shape once again.

The team's best players always come through in the clutch, and that is what Cena does.

He came back from pectoral surgery after only two months in 2008 even though he could have missed up to a year. He went out in August of that year with neck surgery, only to return in November. Every time his critics count him out, Cena comes back fighting harder than before.

This is who he is, and there's every reason to believe he will be that guy again now.

WWE is keeping rather quiet about Cena's possible return, choosing instead to post a story about him serving as the honorary pace car driver for the upcoming Daytona 500. If people inside the company know when he's coming back, they're obviously not going to say; the return means more if it's a surprise.

That surprise could also include Cena either calling out The Phenom or getting called out himself.

The reason for the match is simple: Each guy wants a shot at the other. It's not about championships, and it's not about title shots; this one is about respect. The typical heel versus babyface dynamic does not have to be used here, as it's really not required to get the match over.

John Cena vs. The Undertaker on the marquee is more than enough to sell tickets.

The fact is this match must happen if WWE wants Mania to be a major success. Cena is needed now like never before, and if he can manage to get himself ready to go before April 3, then facing off with The Undertaker is the best way to go.

WWE needs its stars, and Cena wouldn't miss it for anything.

Tom Clark can regularly be found on Bleacher Report and his podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online here.