I’m ready to say it, folks – “The Head of the Table,” who I fully acknowledge, Roman Reigns, may be on my favorite run a WWE superstar has had since CM Punk, who had that ‘Summer of Punk’ run from the summer of 2011 all the way through the 2013 Royal Rumble. Sure, there was the Yes Movement in 2014. There was KofiMania in 2019. But, I’m talking about one guy going on a sustained run for the ages – not just a moment. Reigns has been terrific with Paul Heyman as his advocate and Jey Uso as his right hand man. He’s bona fide enough to be a credible long-running champion, but he’s arrogant and prickish enough for people to hate his guts. He’s neither the monster heel nor the slimy heel, but something that transcends categorization. That’s special – the whole thing just works, and I’m here for it. So, it makes sense that as this run continues, and the stakes get bigger and bigger, you’d want bigger opponents for Reigns. With SummerSlam right around the corner, the rumor is starting to fire up, and it sounds like John Cena is in the running to return and be that next big opponent for The Tribal Chief. Folks – ‘John Cena vs. Roman Reigns’ on the marquee sounds pretty damn enticing.
As previously noted, John Cena is scheduled to return on the July 16th episode of WWE Friday Night SmackDown. Andrew Zarian from the Mat Men Podcast strongly hinted that Cena would be at SummerSlam in the main event. There were no hints given on who he would be facing but, based on the lack of top faces available for Roman Reigns and based on the fact that WWE needs to sell out a 60,000 seat stadium, one would speculate that perhaps they are looking at Cena vs. Roman Reigns.
No offense to the Mat Men Podcast, but I don’t know how concrete they are as a source. If I’m out of pocket, y’all can check me on that, but I’m here to just address the possibility of a John Cena vs. Roman Reigns SummerSlam main event. Folks – I’m here for it. These two have had some really good stuff in the past. Assuming Cena is able to knock any ring rust off pretty quickly, you’ve got a lock for a high quality main event, especially considering the main events Reigns has been putting on lately. But, this would be a tremendous strategic move as well for a couple of reasons.
One, Cena’s star has far transcended the wrestling world at this point. Yeah, he’s in a little hot water with China right now, but that notwithstanding, he’s become one of the latest wrestling stars to make the leap into broader American pop culture. That’s another way of saying John Cena has star power now, perhaps like he never has before. Two, if you really want to stretch this Reigns run out to a big time main event against Dwayne at WrestleMania (which makes too much sense to NOT make happen, in my opinion), you’re going to need help along the way. Reigns has already run through Kevin Owens, Daniel Bryan, and Edge. He put on a hell of a match with Cesaro. But, you have to keep this momentum going. You need bodies to stack up at the feet of Reigns. Having Cena come in for a big summertime program buys you time without having to start reaching for new talent.
You’re going to sell tickets with this main event. You’re going to reach a broader audience with this main event. And, you’re going to further elevate the status of your champion with this main event. What reason is there to not pull the trigger on it? It’s right there for ya, Vince.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD and #BeBetter. “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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