John Cena is back and he’s already primed and ready for a shot at the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble against AJ Styles. That will be a great match, and one of, if not his first of 2017, but there are a lot of other men on the SmackDown Live roster that Cena needs to step inside the ropes with.
From new guys to former rivals, there’s a lot of business to be done with John Cena’s remaining time as a full-time wrestler. He said he’s not a part-timer, and there’s a heck of a lot of time in a year.
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These are the seven men that John Cena needs to share a ring with in 2017.
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#7 Jason Jordan
One would have to assume that after being marginalised in 2016, WWE has big plans for American Alpha to make up for that in 2017. After all of the hype, they're being relegated to the PPV kickoff shows and WWE Network only C-shows.
That is likely to change in 2017 now that they have become Tag Team Champions, and earning the respect of the big man on campus could certainly go a long way to continue the upward trend.
Maybe they can team together in a losing effort with some miscommunication between Cena and Jordan costing them the match. To settle their differences like gentlemen, they can go one-on-one on an episode of SmackDown Live in a match that sees Jordan push Cena to his limit.
Cena wins because there's no reason for a mid card tag guy to defeat him. It still looks really good on the kid’s resume, so why not give it a shot?
#6 Apollo Crews
WWE needs to figure out something to do with this guy soon or ship him back to NXT until they can. Crews looked really good in his IC Title match with The Miz recently on SmackDown Live. He didn't play an underdog, necessarily, and that's very important. He's a strong man with insane agility and ability.
In 2017, WWE creative should insist on showcasing his strength, speed and dazzling moves the same way they did when he first came to NXT. Give him some local enhancement talent to work against and let him get in all of his impressive stuff, and you'll have a guy that the crowd wants to see.
Later on in the year, maybe even after a run with the IC Title, he should cross paths with Cena. The two men have the potential to put together a really enjoyable match, and it would, even in defeat, be good for Apollo's resume.
You know what I'd like to see? Crews turning heel and getting cocky because he knows how good he is. Team him up with a like-minded individual, Tony Nese, and they would make a great tag team.
#5 Samoa Joe
WWE recently acknowledged the history between Joe and Cena, and it seems that it'll be just a matter of time before Joe joins past rival AJ Styles on Smackdown Live. SDL could use the extra talent at the top of the card, as the brand split has the main event scene on both rosters looking thin.
Samoa Joe vs. John Cena has always been something of a dream match for many people, based on their pre-success history in California and their time as successful main event guys in their respective promotions.
Joe has been in NXT for close to two years and his role there is all but diminished. It's time for him to move up and time for Cena to lock horns with this bull.
#4 Luke Harper
It looks like Harper might be making his way out of the Wyatt Family. He has gone solo a few times recently and the dissension between him and Randy Orton may see him get the short straw sooner rather than later.
Harper is an amazing talent and has so much to offer as an upper mid card big man who may become IC Champion again and may never hold the World Title. He's the kind of guy who should always be part of the conversation, though, and a strong showing against Cena (even in defeat) will help put him right into that conversation.
#3 Shelton Benjamin
Here's hoping the former IC, US, ECW, and Tag Champion comes back soon.
He was advertised as returning to SmackDown Live this summer when the brand split began but it had to be postponed due to injury. Once he returns, WWE could go a lot of ways with him.
Partnering with American Alpha is one idea, and maybe he and Dolph Ziggler, along with Jack Swagger, could still form their amateur grappler group that was rumoured.
He could also be his own man, but one thing is for sure. No matter who he's aligned with, if anyone at all, a match with John Cena needs to be in the cards. Nobody seems to get to defeat Cena for the most part, which is fine because most people don't need to. Benjamin vs. Cena is just a match that must happen.
#2 The Miz
Their past rivalries and matches were nothing to write home about, but both men are on a completely different level now than they were over half a decade ago. The Miz is the best he has ever been and Cena appears to be more motivated than he has been in a while.
The promo work alone would make this renewed rivalry worth the price of admission, but the match would also be worked smarter and better than before. These are two top-flight performers and at this point in their careers, they are more evenly matched than ever before.
I wouldn't even be shocked to see Miz pull out a surprise victory on his way to becoming WWE Champion one more time.
#1 Baron Corbin
After proving that he can hang with the big dogs in a spectacular triple threat match that ended the year on TV for WWE on a high note, Baron Corbin is obviously being primed for much bigger things in the future.
Cena has claimed that he’s the gatekeeper, and all young stars must go through him. That’s exactly the scenario we’re going to see go down between he and Corbin sooner or later. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Corbin call him out right after WrestleMania.
It’s tough to say what the plan is for the big man now, but if the triple threat match was a test, he definitely passed it. The original Face That Runs The Place is sure to be in his line of sight soon, and it’s a match that could make Baron Corbin’s young career.
