Pros and Cons of John Cena vs Jinder Mahal at WWE SummerSlam

John Cena is knocking on the door of pro wrestling immortality.

Many WWE fans say he's already there; Cena is a 16-time world champion, of course. Only one other man in the history of the business can lay claim to that distinction, and his name is Ric Flair.

But Cena is one three-count away from making it 17.

All he has to do is defeat the wildly popular Shinsuke Nakamura on the August 1 edition of SmackDown Live. If he does, then he will be on his way to a SummerSlam showdown with current WWE champion Jinder Mahal. Though The Modern Day Maharaja has his supporters, many were likely waiting on this moment to come.

Cena versus Mahal is the perfect matchup in many ways.

However that does not necessarily mean the bout should happen. Nakamura is one of the best talents in the world and has earned his spot in Vince McMahon's company. Maybe now is indeed the right time for WWE's King of Strong Style to realize his full potential.

Cena has been on top for a long time, and it's apparent that he's winding down. He is still in phenomenal shape and is still WWE's guy, but he's no longer the full time main event megastar fans have known for over a decade.

Of course, to imagine Cena not in a main event match at SummerSlam, especially when the match is such a good fit, seems ridiculous at best.

But fans will choose their sides on Cena, as they always have. It's up to WWE what happens from here, but it's up to the WWE faithful whether they will approve one way or the other.

The Pros

This is John Cena territory.

Cena was made for main event matches, and that's never been truer than SummerSlam. Mahal is a foreign threat that criticizes America and whose arrogance makes him one of WWE's most hated Superstars. He doesn't care about anyone around him, and he has no respect for the WWE fans that boo him every night.

Then there's Cena, also known as Captain America.

Cena never backs down, he never quits, and he never asks for help. He wins or loses matches because of his own efforts, and he never makes excuses either way. More importantly, however, he loves his country and is as all-American as baseball and apple pie.

How have these two forces not crossed main event paths to this point?

The fact is the timing is perfect here. Mahal is a heel that needs a babyface like Cena to test him. Mahal's growth in WWE has been on display from the moment he became champion, and he's succeeded in many ways. 

But until he faces the super patriotic Cena, he's not seen anything yet.

Cena can help Mahal become the main event terror WWE wants him to be. Mahal has come a long way since winning the title, but he will only continue to grow by working legitimate threats to his championship. 

Nothing is more legitimate than Cena determined to win No. 17 at SummerSlam. The match is good for Mahal and good for WWE as well.

Then there's the matter of Baron Corbin, who will likely cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase at some point in the near future. Why not make a statement and cash in against Cena? Cena can help two younger talents in one shot, and that's something that surely every WWE fan would agree is best for business.

The Cons

Will Cena help the rising talents, or just help himself?

This is the part that many fans dread discussing, and it's a debate that's been raging for years in WWE. Why does the company seem to care only about Cena instead of moving forward with newer talent?

The New Era is a nice gimmick, and it's worked to this point, but how can fans take it seriously when Cena is suddenly thrust back into title contention at a moment's notice? Doesn't Mahal deserve more than to just be railroaded into a match that he will likely lose?

credit: wwe.com

For that matter, what about his run at the top? Is WWE just going to let that go now so Cena can make pro wrestling history? Mahal may not be a legendary star himself, but why should he be overshadowed by a part-time babyface that is still hated by a large portion of the crowd?

Then there's Nakamura, who Cena will have to beat in order to get to SummerSlam. 

Will they have a five-star match? Yes. Will fans be talking about it for months to come? Most definitely. But is it right that Nakamura should do the job to the former top guy that's not even around anymore? What about The King of Strong Style's future in WWE?

Why not build that future now?

The fact is that no matter how the company spins this, a Cena win over Nakamura is not what fans want. Cena versus Mahal at SummerSlam is also not what fans want. This entire storyline should center on Nakamura and his rise to the top of WWE.

Cena has been there. He's done that. He has 16 championships, he does not need 17, and fans don't want him to win it. 

The New Era is about the future of the company, and that future should not include Cena at the top of the ladder. Cena's run will likely never be duplicated, and neither will his contributions to WWE. But this is a new time, and Cena's time is up.

Read Tom's companion piece, Pros and Cons of Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Jinder Mahal at WWE SummerSlam here

Tom Clark can regularly be seen on Bleacher Report. His podcast, Tom Clark's Main Event, is available on iTunes, Google Play, iHeart Radio, Amazon Android, Windows Phone and online at boinkstudios.com