WWE News: John Cena announces early return to RAW
It seems there won’t be any surprise element to John Cena’s return to WWE programming.
On Monday, the 15-time world champion announced via Twitter that he would be returning to RAW on Memorial Day, which is May 30.
They said the surgery recovery time is 9 months, but I’m ready to go in 5. This #MemorialDay Cena is back on #Raw. #NeverGiveUp
— John Cena (@JohnCena) April 25, 2016
Cena has been recovering from shoulder surgery, which was announced the first week of January and was expected to keep him out of action for six to nine months. The announced return would be just shy of five months from that point.
The polarizing superstar actually made his in-ring return at WrestleMania 32, where he appeared alongside The Rock for a beatdown of the Wyatt Family.
At the time of his injury, Cena was in the midst of a delayed feud for the United States Championship, which he lost to Alberto Del Rio at Hell in a Cell in October 2015. He seemingly endorsed Kalisto as his choice to be the next contender against Del Rio around the time he announced his injury, and Kalisto won the belt from Del Rio not long after that.
It is unclear what Cena’s role will be when he returns, but it would be surprising not to see him injected into the World Heavyweight Championship picture or the expected power struggle between Shane McMahon and the Authority. Also worth noting is the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, scheduled for June 19, just three weeks after Cena’s announced return. That would seemingly be an easy way to get him right back toward the top of the card without really costing anyone currently working their spot.