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WWE Rumors: John Cena Returns To ‘SmackDown Live,’ But What Can We Expect When He Does?

By Bernadette Giacomazzo
Published on: 01:32 PST, Dec 15, 2016

Sound the trumpets, because John Cena is returning! Though the latest WWE rumors suggest that Cena’s return to the ring has been imminent for a long time, it’s only now that he’s really coming back on the December 27 edition of SmackDown Live that we can safely say that it’s the real deal this time. But the question is, what can we expect when he finally does return?

According to the latest WWE rumors report from Forbes, there are a few possible storylines for Cena to follow. The most obvious one, of course, is to begin Cena’s title run for the Intercontinental Championship. Even though Cena has won many awards in wrestling to date, the Intercontinental title is the only one that has consistently eluded him. It would be a fitting feather in the cap of his illustrious career if he finally gets the Intercontinental title. Best of all, he’d be facing off against The Miz, who’s the perfect SmackDown Live heel, thus making him the perfect contender for the perfect face Cena.

Meanwhile, the latest WWE rumors from WrestleZone suggest that the company is still worried about Cena’s actual availability to fight in 2017, making it unlikely that they’ll give him a shot at an Intercontinental title run. Being a champion means that you need to have a full-time fight schedule, and between filming the hit reality show American Grit and taking other Hollywood offers, Cena doesn’t have the time, the energy, or — it seems — the desire to take on a full-time wrestling gig.

As has been previously reported, as well, Cena is at odds with the company over his salary, complaining that Goldberg — his contemporary — receives much more for doing much less than he does. And while Cena cleared $6 million from the WWE last year, which is certainly not a bad day’s work, it’s hard to justify that amount when everyone else around you is receiving so much more. Furthermore, as has also been previously reported, Cena is trying to have his Hollywood career follow the same trajectory of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and so far, that level of success has eluded him.

Finally, the latest WWE rumors from Vulture suggest that Cena’s critically acclaimed turn on Saturday Night Live has him thinking that he wants to do more comedy-based routines in Hollywood.

In his opening monolog, Cena suggested that he knew that the only reason most people know him is thanks to the WWE. And while he’s certainly had some Hollywood appearances — most notably in Trainwreck, opposite Amy Schumer, and in Sisters, opposite Tina Fey and Amy Poehler — he knows that most people only know him because he’s a wrestler with the WWE.

Saturday Night Live, then, was a chance for Cena to prove that he has real acting (and, more specifically, comedy) chops, and he delivers with gusto.

“Unless he stayed awake through Weekend Update, chances are Trump won’t have much SNL fodder for his Twitter account this weekend. (Without the ego fuel of Alec Baldwin’s impression, surely Trump would find no reason to keep watching.) Though there isn’t one painful sketch in the show, the writing isn’t as strong as it has been in past weeks. Still, John Cena had a great showing: He’s affable, charming, a natural live performer, and funny to boot. The sketches may not have soared, but Cena did.”

What do you think of this latest round of WWE rumors? Leave your thoughts about the latest WWE rumors in the comments below.

[Featured Image by WWE]

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