WWE is already preparing us for John Cena vs. Roman Reigns

We’re getting close to John Cena’s return to our weekly wrestling programs on the July 4 SmackDown, and there’s a reason WWE made him a “free agent” so he could appear on Monday and Tuesday nights (and possibly a couple Sundays per month, too).

A good example of why is how much speculation there already is about what the 16 time World champ will be doing when he gets back. Even before Cena stirred the pot with a couple cryptic Tweets, the rumor mill has been churning out possible bookings for every event from SummerSlam to WrestleMania 34.

WWE.com’s gotten in on it, too, with an article by Anthony Benigno the company’s official website ran this week. “6 opponents John Cena has never faced” proposes a lot of dream match scenarios for the Ce-Nation leader, while also feeding the fire of two prominent reports about his immediate future.

Here’s their list:

Roman Reigns
Samoa Joe
Finn Bálor
Shinsuke Nakamura
Braun Strowman
Jinder Mahal

One thing that stands out is that the majority are on the red brand, offering a possible further explanation for his new status.

Beyond that, one rumor says his first feud back on television could involve the chase for his record-setting 17th WWE championship via a showdown with current titleholder Jinder Mahal. Sure enough, Jinder’s on the list, along with some possible backstory for a program:

...a lot has changed since Cena floated the idea of Mahal challenging him for the WWE Title at SummerSlam 2013 (seriously — he said “don’t hinder Jinder” and everything before choosing Daniel Bryan).

Then there’s the Big Dog. Cena and Reigns have already engaged in a bit of a social media p***ing contest, and reports are now saying Vince McMahon may have changed his mind about doing Brock Lesnar vs. Roman next Spring in New Orleans. Instead, WWE may run that match in Brooklyn this August, and head towards Cena as the man who challenges The Guy at ‘Mania.

So, while he never got that Undertaker match he wanted, John may get a shot at the Superstar who ended the Big Man.

It’s nothing concrete, and WWE.com knows they’re encouraging speculation when they publish a story like this. But there are few wrestlers we fixate on more than Cena, so... don’t expect them to stop teasing potential storylines for him any time soon.