Exploring John Cena's WWE WrestleMania 34 Match Options Including Rey Mysterio

Ahead of WWE WrestleMania 34, John Cena stands at a fork in the road as a man without a match. 

Or at least, that's how the story goes. The future Hall of Famer may publicly doubt he'll make the card at the massive pay-per-view, but a star of his caliber isn't getting the "stuck watching the show from catering" treatment. It's just a matter of who he faces.

Even if it's hard to buy into Cena's concerns, his battle to be in the WrestleMania spotlight has become one of the best things on WWE TV at the moment.

After losses at the Royal Rumble and Elimination Chamber events, Cena has a clear shot at a marquee bout. He knocked off AJ Styles on Tuesday's SmackDown to enter what is now a Six-Pack Challenge for the WWE Championship at Fastlane.

That development adds another potential path for Cena en route to The Showcase of the Immortals.

He may compete on that card as a WWE title contender. He could slug it with a monster on the midcard or send the legendary Undertaker riding off into the proverbial sunset. And according to some recent news, Rey Mysterio is in the mix, as well.

Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated reported that Mysterio is trying to iron out a deal with WWE for a WrestleMania match, with Cena as a potential opponent:

What's the most probable direction for The Leader of the Cenation? What are the plusses and minuses of each potential showdown? Let's look at those questions as we weigh Cena's WrestleMania options.

Cena vs. Styles vs. Nakamura

A screwy finish at Fastlane could turn a dream match into a Triple Threat contest with far less juice.

Nakamura awaits the winner of the WWE title Six-Pack Challenge. As the last man standing in this year's Royal Rumble, he's assured a shot at the champ. 

Cena emerging from the pack to take on The King of Strong Style is a long shot. It would be nuts of WWE to pull Styles out of that match with as much momentum as he's built and as stellar a run as he's put together.

Should the company pit both Cena and Styles against Nakamura at The Show of Shows, it will crowd out what would have been a perfect match.

Styles vs. Nakamura is the no-brainer move here. They have history from their days in Japan. They would deliver a stellar showing, likely adding to the list of WrestleMania classics.

And few routes would elevate Nakamura than one where he goes toe-to-toe with The Phenomenal One on the biggest night of the year.

For Cena to jump into the WWE title picture so easily does a disservice to both his personal story and the SmackDown main event scene. Yes, there would be the added drama of his pursuit of a record-breaking 17th world title reign, but this three-way clash would just feel off.

Cena vs. Mysterio

Two former world champions and two of the most popular Superstars of the past decade meeting head-to-head on a grand stage has an inherent appeal.

It would offer a change of pace, as well, thanks to how little they have faced each other. Per CageMatch.net, Cena and Mysterio have only collided in two televised one-on-one matches, none of which happened on PPV.

Still, some pundits have been baffled by the idea. The folks at Daily DDT are among those who don't "get" the match:

A part of that likely comes from how random this feels. Not counting the Royal Rumble, Mysterio hasn't been around since 2015. There's not a wealth of history to dive into between them. 

But all that aside, it would be a better match from an in-ring perspective than Cena vs. Undertaker. Mysterio is nine years younger than The Deadman and looked to be in terrific shape at the Rumble. His speed and agility will be more fun to watch than what Undertaker has left these days. 

Cena vs. Undertaker

There is no bigger match on the table for Cena than a WrestleMania showdown with Undertaker. When the powerhouse teased that bout on Monday's Raw, the arena lit up.

It would be a clash of icons. It's the type of bout that would draw casual and lapsed fans to the event, one that many have clamored for in the past.

But the timing is all wrong.

A few years back, Cena vs. Undertaker would have been a far better option. But The Deadman is in his 50s now. He's barely able to go in the ring. 

Christopher Walder of The Score and Bleacher Report panned Undertaker's last WrestleMania performance:

And that loss to Reigns felt like a farewell. The legend struggled to take down the young gun. He left his hat and coat in the ring and saluted fans on the way out. WWE teased that as his exit.

To bring him back the next year undercuts that moment. 

Other Options

As imperfect as Cena vs. Mysterio or Cena vs. Undertaker would be, they remain the most probable matchups.

You're not going to throw a Superstar of Cena's caliber in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal just yet. Yes, that would up the prestige of that new WrestleMania tradition, but the company hasn't seemed all that concerned with that.

Cena was in the midst of a feud with Elias, but WWE has steered away from that. The Drifter has instead been busy with Braun Strowman.

Strowman would make an intriguing opponent for Cena himself. The Monster Among Men doesn't have a clear path to WrestleMania either despite arguably being the hottest star on Raw right now.

But Strowman as Cena's foe won't inspire the kind of buzz that Mysterio or Undertaker would. WWE has long leaned on nostalgia and established stars, especially at WrestleMania. That trend isn't going to end in New Orleans.

Giving Strowman a shot at devouring Cena in front of a massive audience would be a smart way to continue building him as the next big thing. But in search of headlines and in an attempt to cram as much name power into the event as possible, WWE is more likely to call upon Mysterio or Undertaker.