From the WWE Rumor Mill: John Cena's WrestleMania plans and post-WrestleMania appearance revealed
What’s the story?
John Cena’s scheduled WWE appearances as of this time indicate that the WWE’s WrestleMania plans for him may not include the SmackDown Live brand.
Apparently, Cena is set to perform for the RAW brand after this weekend’s SmackDown brand-exclusive PPV. Additional details on Cena’s WrestleMania 34 status have also been revealed.
In case you didn’t know…
John Cena has lately been working on a part-time schedule in the WWE and is the only active Superstar who competes as a free agent in the WWE—exclusive neither to the RAW nor SmackDown brand.
Considering the fact that Cena has been one of WWE’s most important Superstars over the past several years, both fans & experts alike have been speculating as to why the 16-time World Champion is yet to be booked in a feud for WrestleMania.
The heart of the matter
John Cena is set to compete in the Six-Pack Challenge for the WWE Championship at this Sunday's SmackDown brand-exclusive Fastlane PPV.
However, Cena is not being advertised for any SmackDown events after the aforementioned pay-per-view. Additionally, Cena’s not set to appear on tonight’s SmackDown Live tapings, nor is he advertised for any upcoming house shows for the blue brand.
In fact, the only live events Cena is being advertised for are RAW-branded house shows. Furthermore, the final scheduled appearance on Cena’s current dates with the WWE is the post-WrestleMania RAW which takes place in New Orleans.
As of this time, the WWE still plans on going forward with a John Cena vs. Undertaker feud—culminating in a match between the two at WrestleMania 34.
What’s next?
Despite John Cena not being advertised for the SummerSlam and Survivor Series PPVs later this year, the vast majority of professional wrestling experts believe that Cena could perform at the events, provided that his Hollywood obligations permit him to return to WWE at the time.
Cena is set to compete against The Undertaker at WrestleMania 34 which takes place at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 8th.
Author’s take
John Cena is perhaps one of the hardest working performers to have ever competed in the sport of professional wrestling.
Cena and the SmackDown brand could indeed benefit from him being a staple of the blue brand, especially when one considers how stacked the RAW roster already is with several big-name Superstars.
Which brand would you like to see Cena compete for? RAW or SmackDown? Sound off in the comments!