5 ways WWE could involve John Cena in SummerSlam 2018

WWE loves to call John Cena a polarising figure, and to be quite honest there is no other better term to describe the wavy popularity of the 16 time World Champion, as fans opinion about the man can change on a dime. So, whether you love him or love to hate him, you cannot deny that Cena holds a special place in the WWE, as ever since he became a part-time wrestler, the company has lacked that star power they so dearly need, and Cena's star power is something WWE needs soon.

As Summerslam 2018 is on the horizon, WWE regularly cranks out their biggest stars to participate in the biggest matches of the year, as the biggest party/event of the summer is possibly the second most important pay-per-view on the company's calendar just behind Wrestlemania. From Brock Lesnar and Ronda Rousey gracing the huge stage to countless other veterans of the squared circle battling each other, one superstar is missing from that star-studded line up is missing and his name is John Cena. As rumors have indicated, Cena will probably miss out on Summerslam this year, and that would be a huge blow to the company.

Cena has become synonymous with Summerslam over the years, as he has produced some of the most memorable matches in the pay-per-view's history alongside the likes of AJ Styles, Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, and Batista. However, this year the status of Cena is uncertain as it is not entirely sure whether WWE would book him on the show due to his busy non-wrestling schedule these days. But if WWE could get Cena to return to the event he has elevated in the past, WWE could include him in these storylines that require little to no build.

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#1 Facing the hottest young talent on Smackdown Live

A match that would outshine the narrative at play.

John Cena has faced countless veterans and young athletes in his time with the WWE, and some of those matches have gone on to become bonafide modern day classics, but as Cena settles into a veteran role himself, it is clear that he works better with younger talent than opposed to aging veterans.

There is no more evidence to support these notion than his battles in the past with the likes of Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, and Sami Zayn, who have all pushed Cena the extra mile to get standout performances from '" the leader of the Cenation."

And currently on the main roster stands one of the hottest young talents in the WWE today- Andrade "Cien" Almas. Almas has all the tools necessary to become the number one superstar in the entire WWE one day, as his remarkable athletic ability, his undeniable charisma, and his perfect manager Zelina Vega, give him an edge over most superstars in the wrestling landscape today. Moreover, throw in the rumors that Vince McMahon is pleased with Almas, and you have a star with endless possibilities on the main roster.

The only thing Almas needs is a push that can guide him to the top of WWE, and who better to give him that monster push than John Cena himself. Now, most of you would be thinking about Cena's terrible history with burying young talent, but judging from Cena's recent history over the past few years it feels as if his 'shoveling days' are behind him for good. From losing to AJ Styles more times than you care to remember to putting over countless young NXT superstars, WWE could use Cena for one last job- to make Almas a megastar.

This programme can start with Cena returning to Smackdown Live during this build up to Smackdown Live, and assess the shifting landscape of the blue brand. Cena could address Randy Orton's clever jab at him being a part-time merchandising machine, and echo to the WWE Universe that even though he unconvincingly lost to the Undertaker at Wrestlemania, he can still go toe to toe with the best the WWE has to offer.

And this would be a perfect opportunity for Zelina Vega to come out and lay out a challenge for Cena, which would be a match between himself and Andrade "Cien" Almas at Summerslam 2018. This match would make perfect sense as Almas' role on Smackdown Live right now is that of a young talent out prove he is the best on the brand, as his recent battle with AJ Styles was all about that theme.

Also, it would make sense for Almas to actually go over in this match, as Cena won his match last year at Summerslam against Baron Corbin and he has recovered from his loss against the Undertaker at the Greatest Royal Rumble by defeating Triple H.

Therefore, Cena putting over Almas in a classic would be the best way for "El Idolo" to gain traction in the WWE, as WWE prepares to strap a rocket on him and send him to the top.

#2 Making up the numbers in faction warfare

A last-minute programme that would benefit all parties involved.

When one thinks about John Cena's history as a tag team wrestler not many fond memories, come to mind, and even though Cena has won the Tag Team Titles on several occasions, he lost it almost all the time due to his partner predictably turning on him. The more recent history of Cena teaming up with other superstars came at Survivor Series 2017 when he was part of team Smackdown Live, and everyone knows how that crapfest went down.

Here WWE has the opportunity to alleviate some of that bad booking from Cena's resume, as he can be involved in a tag team war that could see him elevate a team that needs a ton of credibility right now, and that is a programme that would see him return to Smackdown Live.

The Usos vs Sanity is a feud that most you would think WWE would not book for Summerslam as it has not been built up beyond Sanity's assault on Jimmy and Jey, but if you consider all the factors that surround this potential match, it could be beneficial for the creative team to consider it.

The fact that both these teams have been knocked out of the Smackdown Live Tag Team Titles tournament, and have no official match set for Summerslam is quite surprising to say the least, as these are two of the best tag teams in the WWE right now. So to make proper use of their talents WWE should use their preexisting differences with one another to set up a match at Summerslam, and the core story that encapsulates this narrative is the unfair numbers advantage Sanity have over the Usos.

Therefore, at Summerslam, Smackdown Live GM Paige tells Jimmy and Jey they can bring a third man to even the odds, and that superstar is none other than tag team veteran Nicholas, just kidding it's your boy John Cena. Cena being the surprise returning superstar at Summerslam could garner a huge pop for the Cenation leader as fans have grown to respect him more than hate him at this point, but more importantly, his presence could immensely elevate the tag team division and Sanity in particular.

This is a decision that would push Sanity past the rest of WWE's tag teams, as getting the rub from a megastar like Cena is exactly what Eric Young, Killian Dain, and Alexander Wolfe need to redeem themselves after being on a losing streak as of late. So whether Sanity destroys Cena or ultimately pin him, this is WWE's chance to make good use of Cena's star power to elevate a team like Sanity who need validation immensely right now.

#3 Coming to the aid of a former enemy

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

It's not hard to notice that Seth Rollins is in sort of a tight spot right now, as his narrative with a newly refined Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre, has seen him get his ass kicked more times than he would care to admit. And when storylines like that play out in a predictable manner, fans are quick to smell what WWE is cooking, as the babyface in peril getting beatdown by the two schoolyard bullies on a weekly basis spells backup is arriving soon for the babyface. And you don't need to tell anyone twice that backup is probably a returning superstar and his name is Dean Ambroise.

Ambrose has been on the shelf for several months now, as he missed the Royal Rumble and even Wrestlemania. Moreover, his return will likely spark a level of interest in the red brand again, but it would be a waste if WWE takes this predictable route with a character they love to make as insanely unpredictable. Therefore, a more viable option for Rollins savior could be a man that no one would've seen coming to Rollins aid-John Cena. You must be saying to yourself now, why in the blue hell would Cena return to help Rollins? Well, the answer is integrated into the setup.

The set up for this entire feud can be easy as ever for WWE, as it could see Cena return this time to Raw and for the same reason mentioned earlier, Cena could exclaim that he still got the energy to run with the young stars. Thus, sending Dolph and Drew to talk trash to the Cenation leader and assault him. It may be a layout you've seen a hundred times but considering the time frame, we working with here, it's simple, easy and quick to pull off in time for Summerslam.

And while that answer may still sound kind of lame to you, the real reason it would be viable to insert Cena in this feud is so he can face one man- Drew Mcintyre. At Summerslam, we all know that Rollins will take on Ziggler for the IC Title, and as of now it is a singles match, but the card is subjected to change.

Moreover, one thing that we possibly could be sure about is that this match won't include Drew McIntyre, as it is to early to have him turn on Ziggler (if that what WWE's ultimate plan is for this alliance). So what does Cena do at the pay-per-view instead of being in Rollins corner? Cena could be the man that faces McIntyre in the biggest match of McIntyre's main roster career.

Drew is sort of stuck on Raw at the moment, as WWE is possibly waiting to get him in the Universal Title picture as soon as it clears up. But in the meantime, McIntyre needs a wave momentum that can ride him to the top of the card, and a match with the biggest star in the company can do just that for him. Cena puts over a future Wolrd Champion, Rollins and Ziggler have a clean match, and Ambrose's return is saved for a more white-hot booking opportunity, sounds like a plan that might just work.

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#4 A number one contender's match

Two clashing generation vying for the same goal.

There is one question fans are constantly asking heading into Summerslam 2018, So what happens to the Universal Title picture after the show concludes? As fans are not sure whether to happy that the next night on Raw the title will be around or will it once again be under the autocratic reign of Brock Lesnar?

Whichever route WWE have decided to take in their booking plans, they should do fans a favor and keep the main event scene moving in the meantime, as two superstars involved in one Wolrd Title match since Wrestlemania 34 is sort of ludicrous, as other superstars fall down the card with no real feud in sight. Therefore, at Summerslam WWE should do something that would get fans hyped for the Universal Title scene and that is to book a number one contenders match.

And when you look at the list of superstars that could step up to the plate to oppose the champion after Summerslam, only a handful of realistic competitors come to mind. Seth Rollins, Finn Balor, Bobby Lashley, Elias, Braun Strownman and Kevin Owens are the only stars that have a chance at contending for the Universal Title, but the issue is that most of these wrestlers are booked in matches, but there are a few solid World Title contenders that are not booked in matches at Summerslam. Therefore, WWE would do themselves a favor if they tried to elevate them at this point in time.

And yes, while WWE is building terrible programmes for Finn Balor with Baron Corbin and Elias with Bobby Lashley, WWE could consider concluding all those matches during the build to the show and book the next superstar to challenge for a Universal Title shot. And who better to oppose that superstar than the man who is still on a quest to break Ric Flair's record of sixteen Wolrd Title wins- John Cena. Moreover, who better to oppose Cena for that the right to achieve that inaugural record than the first ever Universal Champion Finn Balor.

Now Balor vs Cena may be a match you never thought you see at this year's Summerslam but if WWE is possibly going to include Cena at this event, a high stakes match against Balor would be their best bet. As Balor is a man that has been denied Championship glory ever since his first World Title was stripped away from him due to an unfortunate injury, and Cena is a man that has not much time to be Wolrd Champion again, as his time in professional wrestling might be coming to a close.

So you have two men with two realistic clashing motivations with time against, sounds like a pay-per-view classic that can elevate Balor back into the limelight and make the Universal Title scene feel more important it is right now.

#5 One last ride

A match that might happen once again.

Undertaker vs John Cena, a match that probably no one wants to see again, and according to the rumors circulating, even WWE has no interest in booking this match for Summerslam this year. And the truth about this rivalry is that their Wrestlemania 34 encounter was a dream match too late.

But here in the WWE, there is never a time like the present, as no one thought that The Undertaker would still be wrestling after he supposedly retired at Wrestlemania 33. So this match most would be the most likely option to happen as WWE left Cena and Undertaker's encounter at "the show of shows" vaguely open for continuation, as Cena lost shockingly. Which leaves the only way from there to be a rematch and it seems as if that rematch might take place at Summerslam even with all rumors indicating it won't.

Now the problem, with this match isn't the inability of these veterans go out and put on a great match anymore; it is the fact that the narrative the creative team surrounded this match with a narrative that was utter crap. As Cena mocking "the phenom's" legacy, and the Undertaker showing up in his legendary gear, although he retired it at WrestleMania 33 was just plain confusing, which prompted fans to ask the age-old question- who booked crap?

So, if WWE wants to make this match a success they have to get the story right, and you would be amazed that this narrative could be saved. If WWE focused more on why these two men want to fight one another, and not how they are going to fight each other, major plot points could be derived for the core of this narrative.

From Cena wanting to cement his legacy at The Undertaker's expense to The Undertaker fighting to keep the aura of his legacy as valuable as ever, WWE could give the fans a proper conclusion to this narrative, in one of the most memorable matches in Summerslam history.