Tomorrow night (May 30) on the Memorial Day episode of Monday Night Raw, John Cena will make his return to the ring. Cena suffered a shoulder injury, and had undergone surgery on January 7 earlier this year. As history has it, Cena never needs the fully expected amount of time to fully recover from his injuries, and in less than five months he comes back to WWE for in-ring action. Since Cena was out from injury for so long, he cannot just continue his United States Championship feud with Alberto Del Rio, and instead he must find a new direction. What directions could John Cena go in when he returns a couple of weeks before the Money in the Bank Pay-Per-View?
Option 1: Qualify for the Money in the Bank Ladder Match
The Money in the Bank ladder match has room for seven participants, and so far six Superstars have qualified (Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Alberto Del Rio, Cesaro, Chris Jericho, and Dean Ambrose). On Monday Night Raw, five qualifying matches took place, with the sixth being on Smackdown, where Alberto Del Rio defeated Zack Ryder. Instead of putting all seven qualifying matches in one week, WWE is saving the seventh for assumedly tomorrow night’s episode of Monday Night Raw, which just happens to align perfectly with The Champ’s return.
If Cena enters the Money in the Bank ladder match, it would give him his second opportunity to hold the briefcase (and maybe he’ll succeed this time after failing to cash it in against CM Punk). This, along with several other obvious reasons, makes John Cena the favorite for the ladder match. A John Cena win in this match would more likely harm anyone else than push Cena’s career forward. He doesn’t need a briefcase to challenge for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship; he can just challenge because he is John Cena. If he loses the match, he won’t lose any credibility, but that role is already filled by Chris Jericho.
Option 2: Challenge The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship
Originally I would have guessed that Cena would pursue the United States Championship when he returns, but as of the most recent episode of Smackdown, it looks like Rusev will be defending his championship against Titus O’Neil. The WWE World Heavyweight Championship feud is also taken, since Seth Rollins will be challenging Roman Reigns for the gold in a couple of weeks. If Cena wants another title, the Intercontinental Championship is the only direction he can go. Along with availability, this also makes sense considering it is the only WWE Championship Cena has not held (that was possible at the time) since his debut over a decade ago.
The Miz has been doing a great job over the past month and a half with his title reign, successfully defending his title multiple times on Raw, Smackdown, Payback, and at Extreme Rules. Cesaro just lost on Smackdown in his pursuit for the title, leaving The Miz without a #1 Contender. This is the perfect time for John Cena to challenge The Miz for a shot at Money in the Bank to win the title while simultaneously reigniting a feud that culminated at WrestleMania 27. Hopefully we can see an Intercontinental Open Challenge, akin to the US Open Challenge, if Cena wins the belt.
Option 3: Find a Tag Team Partner for a Tag Team Championship Pursuit
This idea seems like a long shot, but the New Day has run through every tag team that the main roster has to offer other than Enzo Amore and Big Cass, and The Realest Guys in the Room are busy feuding with the Dudley Boyz. It is interesting to speculate who Cena would choose as a partner, but no matter how it goes, John Cena would definitely elevate the tag team division. This is the only championship opportunity left for Cena if he doesn’t go for the second option above, but it is too bad that this probably won’t happen.
Of course, these are just a few of the directions that John Cena can go in when he returns. WWE.com posted a poll with the following options:
- Challenge Rusev for the United States Championship
- Enter the Money in the Bank Ladder Match
- Compete in WWE NXT
- Propose to Nikki Bella on Raw
The Money in the Bank ladder match was tied at 28% with the proposal to Nikki Bella, but the most interesting choice is NXT, where Cena would have a huge impact. Wherever Cena chooses to go, it is sure to be interesting.
