Absent WWE star returns to face John Cena at Crown Jewel 2023? Exploring the possibility

WWE has advertised John Cena for Crown Jewel 2023. However, the Stamford-based promotion is yet to unveil an opponent for the 16-time World Champion. While rumors suggest Cena will face Solo Sikoa at the premium live event in Saudi Arabia, WWE could book Cena to face an absent WWE star.

The absentee in question is Karrion Kross. After a lackluster feud against AJ Styles on SmackDown, Kross has been absent from WWE programming. However, WWE could book Kross in a potential match against John Cena at Crown Jewel in 2023. In fact, the former even teased a match against Cena sometime ago.

The night AJ Styles was attacked by The Bloodline on SmackDown, Karrion Kross posted a cryptic video of him observing John Cena during his entrance. But since then, there has been no development from the 38-year-old's side. WWE could use this very segment to build a feud between Cena and Kross leading up to Crown Jewel.

Given that Karrion Kross has been criticized for his recent performances in WWE, the Stamford-based promotion could use John Cena to build the former. A rivalry against Cena would not only give Kross a great push, but it would also help him prove his doubters wrong.

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Roman Reigns will play a crucial role after John Cena's departure says WWE veteran

When WWE announced John Cena would be regularly appearing on Smackdown for a specific period, fans were very excited. While Cena has certainly lived up to the hype, his run with the Stamford-based promotion will soon come to an end. That's where Roman Reigns will have to pick things up, according to a WWE legend.

Before Roman Reigns could appear on SmackDown this week, there were rumors about what he would say. As per WWE legend Jim Cornette, it's a continuation of star power on SmackDown. Detailing Reigns' importance after Cena's departure, Cornette said:

"A lot of people are wondering what he's gonna be saying about a lot of things. So, again, the star power is continuing... Cena's already made the statement, you know, that when the strike is over, he's gotta get back to a production. He won't be able to wrestle anymore because of insurance, and you can't do both. I don't blame him. But they got Roman Reigns coming back into the pipeline, and they've got access to other names that people recognize." [From 0:06 - 0:40]

While Roman did clash with Cena on SmackDown, the tide immediately changed when WWE teased a rivalry between Roman Reigns and LA Knight. Regardless of what happens in the coming weeks, WWE will depend on the likes of Roman Reigns to keep up the star-power, once Cena returns to Hollywood.