John Cena’s Next Feud Revealed Heading Into ‘WWE Battleground’
It’s been advertised for weeks that John Cena will be making his return to WWE television next week during the July 4 edition of SmackDown Live. There has been a lot of speculation regarding his spot in WWE TV since he became a “free agent.” The WWE Universe isn’t sure if he’s going to remain loyal to SmackDown or if he will be moving Raw, but there have been rumors circling Cena’s next feud once he makes his return.
Since John Cena could feud with almost anyone on Raw or SmackDown Live, the fans have speculated for a number of different feuds for him. One of the hottest rumors is Cena starting a rivalry with Jinder Mahal for the WWE Championship that would take them into WWE SummerSlam. That’s still a possibility, but WWE officials are thinking about who John Cena will be feuding with heading into WWE Battleground first.
Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Brute is making a return to SmackDown Live himself, but a lack of creative plans have kept him on the sidelines for a few weeks. As a result, WWE officials are thinking about combining the two stars heading into Battleground. It has been reported that Cena will be feuding with Rusev at the PPV.
Cena vs. Rusev was an intense feud that lasted over several months in early 2015. The Bulgarian Brute is the first man to gain a submission victory over John Cena in over a decade. Although Cena eventually captured the United States Title and ended Rusev’s undefeated streak, it elevated the latter to a much higher level on WWE programming. It has been a couple of years and a lot has changed, so rekindling their rivalry makes a lot of sense heading into WWE Battleground to get both performers back on SmackDown Live this year.
On paper, their rivalry wouldn’t last beyond Battleground. It’s likely that Rusev will take the loss as well in their match, but it will get the ball rolling for both men heading into SummerSlam. Rusev has been on the cusp of entering the WWE title picture, but the likelihood of Cena taking on Mahal on the biggest show of the summer is high. WWE officials know there is big money in Cena vs. Mahal match for the WWE Title.
A short feud between John Cena and Rusev won’t be anything groundbreaking, but it will be good for both men to get back on WWE programming and have a solid match. Their angle will probably begin during next week’s edition of SmackDown Live. The WWE Universe may not be overly thrilled to see their rivalry again, but it will be a “means to an end” situation, as the powers that be prepare for WWE SummerSlam in August.
[Featured Image by WWE]
