WWE UK Title, John Cena Returning and Top WWE News from Week of December 17

John Cena's Return Date Announced

On the Dec. 13 episode of SmackDown, WWE announced John Cena will be returning to the blue brand on Dec. 27.

The 15-time world champion has been absent from WWE television since No Mercy on Oct. 9, when he lost a WWE Championship match against Dean Ambrose and AJ Styles.

Cena has been busy during his time away. Most of his hiatus has been spent filming the second season of American Grit and hosting Saturday Night Live while making other media appearances to promote Total Bellas.

During his time away, Styles has appropriated one of Cena's nicknames and started calling himself "The Face That Runs the Place" and "The Champ That Runs the Camp," so Cena will likely be looking to silence the man who hasn't stopped bragging about beating him.

The New Day Breaks Record

As seen on the Dec. 12 episode of Raw, The New Day won two different Triple Threat matches to officially become the longest-reigning tag team champions in WWE history.

Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston and Big E have been running the tag team division for the past two years, defeating anyone who has stepped up to challenge them.

"

Uhhhh...thanks, @McDonalds! pic.twitter.com/uPOMst1RRZ

— ShinigamE (@WWEBigE) December 5, 2016"

Unfortunately, their journey to the record forced WWE to sacrifice the pushes of teams like Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows, but that's all over.

Now that the record has been broken, WWE can have someone beat the trio for the titles and start making the tag team division on Raw more competitive again.

Zack Ryder Injured

Zack Ryder won a Battle Royal to earn a tag title shot for himself and Mojo Rawley against The Wyatt Family, but the match left him unable to capitalize on the opportunity.

WWE.com has confirmed Ryder suffered a knee injury during the match, which required surgery. Long Island Iced-Z posted the following message on Twitter:

There is no word on how long he will be out of action, so Rawley may have to go it alone for a few months while his partner heals up.

Ryan Phillippe Appearing on SmackDown

Following Randy Orton's guest role on the USA Network show Shooter, the series' main star, Ryan Phillippe, will return the favor by appearing on SmackDown on Dec. 20, according to WWE.com.

Phillippe is no stranger to WWE events. He is a noted lifelong fan who has been shown on camera more than once sitting at ringside.

It will be interesting to see how any interaction with Orton is handled now that The Viper has sided with Bray Wyatt and Luke Harper.

WWE Introducing United Kingdom Tournament and Championship

WWE received rave reviews for the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic and Cruiserweight Classic tournaments, and it is following those up with another tourney for UK talents.

The announcement was made at a press conference, where Triple H revealed the new United Kingdom champion will be crowned at the end of a 16-man, two-day tournament in January.

This title won't just be a rebranded European Championship. It will be defended at WWE shows in the UK and indy events hosted by some of WWE's partners in Europe.

The whole idea behind this concept is to help these promotions nurture future WWE stars while also expanding the company's reach overseas.

It's unknown if WWE will ever bring the champion over to defend the title at pay-per-views, but hopefully the tournament isn't the last time American fans get to see the title.

WWE.com also announced Nigel McGuinness, a longtime favorite on the indy scene, will join WWE to co-host the tournament. If all goes well, his role with the company will increase after the tourney is over.

Final Card for Roadblock: End of the Line

The final WWE PPV of the year, Roadblock: End of the Line, will take place on Dec. 18. Here is a look at the final card, according to WWE.com:

Match	Stipulation
Sasha Banks vs. Charlotte Flair	30-minute Iron Man match, Raw Women's Championship
Kevin Owens vs. Roman Reigns	Universal Championship
The New Day vs. Cesaro and Sheamus	Raw Tag Team Championship
Rich Swann vs. TJ Perkins vs. The Brian Kendrick	Cruiserweight Championship
Big Cass vs. Rusev	Singles match
Sami Zayn vs. Braun Strowman	10-minute time limit
Chris Jericho vs. Seth Rollins	Singles match

What are your predictions for Sunday's event?

Thanks for reading, and follow me on Twitter @BR_Doctor.