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Csonka: 4 Possible WrestleMania Opponents For John Cena

February 14, 2020 | Posted by Larry Csonka
John Cena WrestleMania 35 WWE Image Credit: WWE

John Cena has been busy in Hollywood these days, only working 8 matches in 2019, 6 of which were live events. But he’s always talked about coming back, because WWE is his home and gave him everything he has. WWE loves bringing stars back, and you know if they can lock in Cena for a WrestleMania match they will. On February 11th, it was announced that John Cena will return to Smackdown on Friday, February 28th, ands o the WrestleMania speculation started running wild, since we are in WrestleMania season and as we all know, it’s all hand on deck. So if he’s returning for a WrestleMania match, who will it be against and who should it be against? I’ll break down some possibilities today. I’m staying very in the box (possible great matches, a first time match, and one to build someone Vince loves), because for as cool as Cena vs. a laundry list of NXT guys would be, I don’t see WWE having him make his comeback to work Velveteen Dream, Keith Lee, Adam Cole or someone like that (as cool as it would be).

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Daniel Bryan: First up is a match to book if we actually want Cena to be involved in a really good to great match, and that means Daniel Bryan. For as much a many of us love Bryan, he has no direction right now and no clear path to Mania after doing everything in his power to put the Fiend over in their matches. Bryan may by directionless, but he’s still a great performer and someone you should want and really the kind of top tier performer you need on a Mania card. He and Cena have history in and out of the ring, and if Cena is feeling froggy and wants to be “big match John” at Mania, there is absolutely no one better to pair him with than Bryan. The match gets Cena on the card, it gives Bryan purpose at Mania in a big match that again, if Cena is in the mood, has top end potential judging by their Summerslam classic.

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CM Punk: This one is my lone “out of the box” pick, Punk has been steadfast that he’s a Fox employee and that he’s not planning to wrestle, but at the same time, he’s also said for the right match and money that he’d considerate. A WrestleMania match and payday with Cena, who he has a lot of history with and the two have a great chemistry as well, may be the match that brings him back. You look back at the classic MITB 2011 match, the banger they had on Raw, and you put them on the big stage where I think that both men will be looking to prove that they can still go and I think that you have a recipe for success. It may be wishful thinking, but I think the match is possible.

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Goldberg: While the SaudiMania shows make more money in one shot (when KSA wants to pay up), WrestleMania is obviously WWE’s biggest show of the year, and the show that you want something special for; a dream match, a first time match, a match you can’t see anywhere else, and a match you likely need to book now before it’s too late. John Cena is a WWE golden boy, and we know how Vince still has a hard on for sticking it to WCW, so I think that Cena vs. Goldberg has to be considered. It may not be everyone’s fist choice, but it fits the criteria. It is a dream match for many fans, it is a first time match, it is a match you can’t see anywhere else, and it is a match you likely need to book now before it’s too late. Cena may not come back much & Goldberg may not be willing to keep coming back or could suffer a major injury, he is 53 after all and has put a ton of stress on his body through the years as an athlete and who knows when the end will come in terms of his career, even if he’s only working on a very limited schedule.

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King Corbin: I think that King Corbin takes the top spot for me. WWE seemingly loves Corbin, they think he is great and they will keep pushing him because it’s good shit pal. WWE will want to get him a big match/win on the biggest show of their year this year and we all know that Cena is a company guy and will likely do anything Vince asks. They also have history, as Cena beat Corbin when he tried to cash in his MITB shot, and to a smaller, lesser known degree, Cena beat him like a fucking drum six times in his 2019 matches. There is a lot to playoff of with their history. WWE will want Corbin in an important match, and while I personally have no desire to see it, it feels like a match WWE will and would wanton Mania. I don’t particularly think it will be good, I don’t even know if a win over Cena can legitimize Corbin to any degree, but if you’re WWE you have to try, because Cena isn’t fulltime anymore, will not be full time again if I had to guess, and if he’s willing to come in, do business and pout Corbin over, WWE would be foolish not to do it. I think King Corbin is the most likely candidate.


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The 411 on Wrestling Podcast returns to the 411 Podcasting Network for episode 90. On the show, 411’s Larry Csonka & Steve Cook preview NXT Takeover: Portland, review this week’s AEW vs. NXT battle, & hit a quick news roundup. The show is approximately 91-minutes long.

* Intro
* News Roundup (Matt Hardy, Elimination Chamber, NJPW to MSG, WWE Hall of Fame Rumors More): 2:30
* AEW Dynamite (2.12.20) Review: 21:15
* NXT (2.12.20) Review: 44:05
* The head to head comparison: 1:02:45
* NXT Takeover: Portland Preview: 1:07:55

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* Google Play

– End scene.

– Thanks for reading.