5 possible WrestleMania 34 opponents for John Cena

There are many creative directions WWE could decide to take with John Cena at WrestleMania 34.

The 16-time champ teamed with fiancé Nikki Bella to face The Miz and Maryse at WrestleMania 33, while his two previous matches at “The Showcase of the Immortals” were used to elevate younger talents Bray Wyatt and Rusev.

Will he be used in a similar fashion against another up-and-comer next year in New Orleans? Will he break Ric Flair’s record of 16 World Championships? Will he get his fifth WrestleMania victory in a row?

There’s still a long way to go until the event, but we’ve taken a look at five possible opponents that Cena could face at the Superdome.

#1 Samoa Joe

In John Cena’s last four WrestleManias, it was obvious in every encounter that he was going to win: The Rock had beaten him the previous year; Bray Wyatt didn't seem a genuine threat; Rusev’s undefeated run as US champion was all set up to end; and there’s no way he and Nikki were losing to The Miz and Maryse.

So, why not have him take on someone where the outcome is a little less predictable? WWE is clearly high on Samoa Joe, or else he wouldn’t have been in two pay-per-view main events with Brock Lesnar, and the Beast Incarnate himself was reportedly said to be impressed by the former NXT champion.

The seeds for a potential feud were planted the night after SummerSlam. Addressing Roman Reigns and Cena in the middle of the ring, Joe claimed he “owned” Roman one-on-one. Then, turning to Cena, he chose to keep his words to a minimum before wasting little time in hammering away at the 40-year-old.