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

Anticipation for John Cena's Memorial Day return is building among WWE fans. Everyone knows when he is coming back, but the company has been pressing on without him for quite some time. However, now the time is winding down, speculation is beginning to run rampant.

What will he do on Raw on May 30? Will he show up, bask in the hate leveled at him by fans and then cut the usual lighthearted promo? Is smiling Cena coming back like he's always done?

Or will he slide in, attack Roman Reigns, proclaim it's still his company and become the baddest antihero since Stone Cold Steve Austin?

Probably not.

If John's Twitter posts are any indication, he's as honorable and as pure-hearted as ever before. So he's likely not going to wear the black hat on Memorial Day, which leaves fans right back at the beginning. Cena is still Cena, and that doesn't appear to be changing.

Once again, the motivational speaker/top guy of WWE is doing what he does on social media. Fans are probably good with this, because despite how much they would love to see him do something new, they know it's just not in the cards.

Cena has made a career of keeping his head up and never backing down. It wasn't a new concept when he rose to fame in WWE, and it's certainly not an outdated concept now. Every marketable babyface in the business shares that same trait; it's what keeps fans on their side, even through the toughest times.

But it's the way Cena carries himself that's always been an issue for his critics.

Simply put, no one could possibly keep pressing forward the way John does without slipping. Eventually, he would get discouraged and say the wrong thing. He would lose faith in people, and then he would do something bad. That's how the real world works for many, yet Cena just keeps going as though nothing can get to him.

He is the epitome of what a white-meat babyface is in pro wrestling, but it's his personality that has endeared him to pop culture and the sports world.

Being included in an ESPN event is a big deal. Hosting it is something else altogether.

This is especially true for a WWE Superstar. The days of the industry being laughed at or ridiculed by the outside world are over. Those who don't understand it will always have their criticisms, but when the world's largest sports network brings in WWE's top star to host the ESPYS, it's a true sign of the times.

The unofficial association between WWE and ESPN has been beneficial for both sides, and Cena's ESPY gig is just more of the same. It increases his exposure, as well as that of WWE, and it increases the chances of fans being made.

But existing fans are still talking about what John will do when he gets back to WWE. Will he be ready physically? Will he immediately be thrust into the WWE world title picture with Roman, or will he go after a secondary championship?

Will he turn Seth Rollins babyface?

Kayfabe is a thing of the past, so the fact Cena openly gave respect to the guy who was the top heel until his knee injury in November is not that big of a deal. But could it be a sign of things to come?

Many fans would love to see Seth come back as a protagonist. The respect Cena talked about is a real thing for Rollins' supporters, who have admired his work ethic and tenacity from Day 1. Seth was hated because that's the role he played, but fans knew the commitment he had to the business.

That commitment will surely be stronger than ever when Seth comes back.

Now Cena must get himself ready. WWE definitely has a plan for him, and as time counts down, speculation continues to build. John has a headlining spot to get back to, and fans have a love-hate relationship to rekindle.

Anything else would be too much change indeed.

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.