John Cena might have a thriving Hollywood career and a superhero show that people love dearly, but he still has a strong passion for the WWE. Cena expressed a want to return to the WWE, and now we know when he'll be back. WWE fans will get to see John Cena before the end of June, as he returns to Monday Night Raw to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his main roster debut.
As announced on WWE's Monday Night Raw, John Cena will be present on Raw on Monday, June 27 in Laredo, Texas. That date is 20 years to the day from when Cena first made his debut on Monday Night Raw back in 2002. Peacock Premium subscribers can revisit the episode, which featured Cena responding to WWE Legend Kurt Angle's open challenge for a match.
John Cena's return makes WWE's celebration of his debut more meaningful and opens the door to the superstar potentially having a high-profile match later in the year. Should any wrestler step up to Cena on the night of his celebration, it could be a major clue that the WWE is laying the groundwork for a future match at SummerSlam like he did in 2021 against Roman Reigns.
As far as who John Cena could face in a big-time match in 2022, there's a lot of speculation that the WWE wants him to square off against the current United States champion, Theory. Theory (formerly Austin Theory) is one of the younger superstars on the roster. A match against Cena, win or lose, would be a big moment in his early career, and a chance for Cena to help bolster a talent capable of carrying the WWE well into the future.
Many WWE fans would love to see John Cena square off against Theory, but I'm sure many others are eager for the champ to get another opportunity at a WWE world title reign. Cena is currently tied with Ric Flair for the most world wrestling title reigns of all time, and breaking that long-standing record would be a huge deal. The WWE would be smart to give Cena that title at a time when he's available and able to still work in the ring. The 2021 return showed that he's still got it. Cena did seemingly hint that he has his eyes on a championship belt after posting the following picture on Instagram:
That picture shows the United States Championship belt being stepped on, which might have some deeper symbolic meaning. Perhaps John Cena is suggesting that Theory soiled the title with his cocky attitude and by taking selfies in the ring? Whatever the case, it seems intentional that Cena posted this specific title, but we'll have to wait and see for sure when he returns to Monday Night Raw.
John Cena returns to the WWE on Monday Night Raw. Tune in to USA Network on Monday, June 27 at 8:00 p.m. ET to see the champ in the ring again, and perhaps be ready to put some younger talent in their place.
