5 Best WWE Return Feuds For John Cena

John Cena is slated to return to WWE in a matter of weeks and potentially set the stage for a huge dream match at WrestleMania 39.

WWE has confirmed a report from Variety that Cena will be making his WWE TV return on the Dec. 30 episode of Friday Night SmackDown and “more announcements are planned for the episode in the coming weeks.”

A prominent fixture in WWE for nearly two decades, Cena is now an infrequently seen part-time performer, most recently appearing for the company on an episode of Monday Night Raw back in June and last wrestling more than a year ago when he faced Roman Reigns at SummerSlam in August 2021. While Cena’s filming schedule may make it difficult for him to be at WrestleMania 39, he reportedly has aspirations of being “the next Rock”—as in Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson—and is expected to be at WrestleMania 39, likely to wrestle a match at WWE’s flagship show.

That, of course, would be a huge coup for WWE, and if it indeed happens, there will certainly be no shortage of potential opponents for Cena at the Hollywood-themed WrestleMania 39.

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Cody Rhodes

WWE is reportedly considering Cody Rhodes as one potential opponent of Reigns at WrestleMania 39, but if that doesn’t happen, Rhodes vs. Cena could be a fantastic addition to the card. Rhodes and Cena, after all, are both incredibly polarizing figures in pro wrestling who will be returning after lengthy hiatuses right around the same time.

Rhodes has proven over the past several years that he is an amazing in-ring performer, and Cena has long been known as “Big Match John” thanks to his unparalleled ability to show up when the lights are the brightest and the stakes are the highest. So, WWE will undoubtedly look to give both stars a top-tier match at WrestleMania 39 even though neither star may figure into the world title plans at the time.

In terms of marketable non-title matches, it wouldn’t get much bigger than Rhodes vs. Cena.

Gunther

WWE has gone all in on Gunther, who is one of the best-booked midcard champions in recent WWE history. What he’s done in terms of elevating the Intercontinental Championship can’t be understated, and it’s been so refreshing to see a true heel’s heel dominate the upper midcard.

While it looks like WWE is building toward Braun Strowman eventually dethroning Gunther, there is perhaps a better story to tell here: Cena doing it instead. Of course, as decorated of a champion as Cena is, the one title he has never held in WWE is the Intercontinental title. Thus, this story writes itself, with Cena dethroning the dominant heel on “The Grandest Stage of Them All.”

It would be similar to Cena defeating Rusev at WrestleMania 31, where Cena ended Rusev’s undefeated streak while also winning the United States Championship. This would a near carbon copy that, but with Cena capturing the IC title that has eluded him his entire career instead and doing so at a time when he’s a beloved legend rather than an overpushed babyface.

Austin Theory

Despite his disastrous run as Mr. Money in the Bank, Austin Theory is clearly a very big part of WWE’s future. He has been completely reinvented as a more serious character, is now the United States Champion and continues to draw comparisons to—who else?—Cena.

The physical comparisons between Cena and Theory are obvious, and their career paths appear to be on a similar trajectory as well. The two stars have hinted at a potential feud on numerous occasions, and with WWE clearly preparing to strap the proverbial rocket to Theory, Triple H and the creative team could take his push to the next level by booking him in a match against Cena.

At this stage of his career, Cena could and should elevate any talent he works with, and with Theory in prime position to be a cornerstone of WWE’s main event scene for the next decade or more, it’s certainly not unfathomable to envision him beating Cena at WrestleMania 39 or, at the very least, taking Cena to the absolute limit.

Logal Paul

As is the case with Theory, Logan Paul vs. Cena is a feud that has been teased numerous times by both stars, and though Paul is a controversial and polarizing figure in both entertainment and pro wrestling, there’s little doubt that this would be a massive match for WWE.

Paul has already established himself as the best crossover/celebrity wrestler in WWE history, demonstrating in just two matches that he is an absolute natural who could be one of pro wrestling’s best overall performers if he committed to it full-time. Cena is a growing star in Hollywood, and Paul has a massive social media following that makes him one of the top attractions in all of sports entertainment.

Paul’s biggest problem in WWE is that he’s trying to be a babyface when he’s a natural heel, an issue that a marquee feud with Cena could fix. A match between the two would likely be great, the promos would be strong, and the buzz this would create outside of WWE is undeniable.

Steve Austin

After his incredible match against Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38 following a nearly two-decade absence from the ring, there is reportedly an offer on the table for “Stone Cold” Steve Austin to wrestle for WWE again.

If Austin decides to lace up the boots one more time, is there a bigger potential match for him than one with Cena? Probably not. Whenever pro wrestling fans discuss the faces of WWE, Austin, Cena and Hulk Hogan are three names that have to come up in that discussion. Cena followed Austin as the top star in WWE, carrying the torch that was lit by Austin and The Rock during the famed Attitude Era.

Yet, as beloved as Austin and Cena are and even with all of the success they’ve had outside of WWE, they never wrestled because the stars simply haven’t aligned for it. However, with both Cena and Austin potentially wrestling at WrestleMania 39, this is likely WWE’s best and last chance to make this match happen, even if it would be coming about a decade later than would have been ideal.