John Cena: News, Rumors on WWE Star's Recovery from Surgery for Week of April 30

John Cena is not only on the mend, he's also on the way back.

WWE's top guy has been out of action since January, and the company has moved on during that time without him. New faces have been spotlighted, different storylines have happened and a new champion is reigning over it all.

But all of that might be changing very soon.

Cena announced on Twitter he is indeed coming back on the Memorial Day edition of Monday Night Raw. That means WWE will once again see its leader back in the fold, and many fans are likely wondering if he is truly ready to go.

According to WWE.com via WrestlingInc, Cena has been included in all of the Raw broadcasts listed after Memorial Day. Though he has not been included on Friday Night SmackDown or any live events thus far, this is a good sign Cena is indeed prepared to return.

But what exactly will he do?

Cena will certainly step right back into the main event picture, because that's where he excels. Very few WWE talents have the ability to bring the big fight feel like Cena can, and he has a decade-long track record of stepping up on the main stage.

He is the company's most consistent performer, and he has been for a long time.

But will he come right back in as a world-title contender? As long as he's the top guy, he is the first option to wear the belt. Fans know this is true, so when he does win it, it's really not all that much of a surprise. But can the same be said now?

Roman Reigns has fought a year-long battle to prove himself as a worthy world champion. He has endured tremendous fan resistance, struggled through adversity at every turn and continues to hear the boos despite the hard work he's put in to get here.

credit: wwe.com

Roman may not be the fans' choice to wear the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, but that should not negate the effort he's made to earn it.

However, fans have seemingly made their decision on Reigns, and right now it's not looking good for him as a top babyface. So assuming Cena comes back and immediately gets heat with Roman, the question becomes who is the heel?

Do fans really hate Roman so much they would actually cheer for Cena?

That would be a moment many likely believed would never happen, and it's really unclear if it even would. Could Reigns baby-out because fans don't want Cena back in the first place? Which man is the lesser of two evils?

It's a booking nightmare, but WWE may not see it that way. 

To the company, this could be the meeting of today versus tomorrow. Cena represents the old day of WWE, the day that saw Ruthless Aggression morph into the Reality Era. He is the star who carried the company after Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock walked away. He's put in his time, and he's done an admirable job.

But his time will end.

Roman is the man WWE wants on top; he's the one who has been chosen to carry the torch forward. With that being the case, maybe he's meant to beat Cena in a world-title match. Maybe this is exactly the scenario WWE wants.

There is certainly money to be made here, and ratings would surely reflect the anticipation fans would have to see it happen. But does WWE care about the conflicting issues regarding each man's status? Is this a match of two babyfaces, or of two heels?

How will this match be booked? 

The fact is, Cena is a polarizing WWE figure, and that will likely not change anytime soon. He has represented the company to the rest of the world, and he's always been considered one of the hardest working guys in the locker room. He should receive a hero's welcome, but that is probably not going to happen.

He will always carry with him the perception of a stale character, a guy who says all the right things, but just can't convince anyone he deserves their support. But he is the top guy until WWE decides to move on, and he's still the featured main event player until he can't go anymore.

Despite what happens with Cena after his return to WWE, the fact is he will surely be the center of attention once again. Just how much of that focus he will have to share or give up remains to be seen.

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