WWE News: Original Plans For John Cena vs. Samoa Joe Wrestlemania Feud Revealed


After Vince McMahon canceled the feud between John Cena and The Undertaker for Wrestlemania 33, the WWE Universe believed that John Cena vs. Samoa Joe would take its place, but their feud was also canceled by WWE officials before the following creative plans could come to fruition. The assumption was Samoa Joe would be headed to SmackDown Live, but he made his WWE main roster debut in a big way on Raw.

WWE officials wanted to make Samoa Joe a top heel immediately, so they had him align with Triple H and attack Seth Rollins the night after the WWE Royal Rumble. After Joe’s attack had resulted in another injury for Rollins, Joe’s heat with the WWE Universe escalated to a new level than originally intended. Samoa Joe will face Sami Zayn at WWE FastLane and is expected to have a huge match on the grandest stage of them all.

John Cena finally became the WWE Champion after defeating AJ Styles at the WWE Royal Rumble. It was the sixteenth time he’s held a WWE World Title in his career, which is an industry record that Cena shares with Ric Flair. However, his title reign only lasted for two weeks because WWE officials wanted him to drop the title to Bray Wyatt. Now, he’s beginning a feud with The Miz that will result in a unique match in Orlando.

[Image by WWE]

Nikki Bella is expected to have her last match at Wrestlemania 33, so Cena will be involved in her match. It has been rumored that Bella and Cena will team together to face The Miz and Maryse on the grandest stage of them all, which may include a marriage proposal from John to Nikki. Samoa Joe’s plans are still up in the air for Wrestlemania, but it’s possible that he will be facing HHH if Seth Rollins is pulled from the match.

No matter what WWE officials have planned, Cena vs. Joe will not be taking place at Wrestlemania 33, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen in the future. Their rivalry could happen at some point down the line this year after John Cena returns from his hiatus around WWE Summerslam. It has been reported that another WWE Draft or trades are coming this summer, so Cena and Joe may find themselves on the same brand.

Considering Samoa Joe’s momentum after injuring Rollins as well as his dominance on Raw since debuting, Joe could be a WWE World Champion by the time John Cena returns to WWE television. Cena’s absence is an opportunity for others to prosper and “The Destroyer” could be the one to capitalize on the opportunity.

[Image by WWE]

Originally, WWE officials were planning for John Cena vs. Samoa Joe in Orlando this year at Wrestlemania 33. If WWE’s plans for their feud had come to fruition, Cena would have lost to Joe in a big way. Apparently, the plan was for Joe to “destroy” Cena on WWE’s biggest stage to become a top heel in WWE. In fact, Samoa Joe’s beatdown of Cena would have been so devastating that it would explain his hiatus on WWE television.

That way, John Cena wouldn’t just disappear after Wrestlemania. WWE officials could still be planning for Samoa Joe to lay out Cena on Raw or SmackDown after Wrestlemania 33 as a way of writing him off WWE television. As of this writing, it’s likely that John Cena vs. Samoa Joe will happen at WWE Summerslam.

The intrigue of Cena vs. Joe is that they began training together many years ago, which gives them a unique history. WWE could use that in their rivalry whenever it happens on WWE programming. After fifteen years in the business, the two men haven’t crossed paths inside a ring, which is something fresh and new for both of them. It would be a shame for Cena vs. Joe not to happen, and it’s a feud that deserves to happen inside a WWE ring.

[Featured Image by WWE]

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