John Cena could target 27-year-old megastar during WWE SmackDown return, according to Mark Henry

As expected, John Cena's upcoming WWE SmackDown return on December 30th has garnered plenty of interest. According to AEW personality Mark Henry, the 45-year-old veteran could aim towards a potential match against Logan Paul.

Cena's last televised WWE match occurred in August 2021, as he came up short against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam. Paul — currently out of action due to a torn MCL — also faced Reigns in his latest bout at Crown Jewel 2022. The social media megastar might recover well before WrestleMania 39 in April 2023.

Interestingly, the 27-year-old has already expressed that he wants to face The Cenation Leader on The Show of Shows. Could this high-profile match receive its first major push before 2023? Here's what Mark Henry had to say about it on the Busted Open podcast:

"Logan Paul called him out. Maybe, there's a rebuttal [from John Cena on SmackDown]. 'If you can get that knee healthy, maybe let's do this at WrestleMania.'"

Next year's WrestleMania event will be Hollywood-themed when it takes place in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, California. Given Cena's popularity as a movie star and Paul's impressive non-wrestling background, Henry added that a potential storyline between them is a huge booking opportunity for WWE:

"Why wouldn't they [book Cena vs. Logan Paul at WrestleMania 39]? WrestleMania is about pageantry and star power. WrestleMania in Los Angeles — you need star power."

In case you missed it, you can check out the Monday Night RAW results here.

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Another reason why John Cena could accept a WWE match against Logan Paul

As an active in-ring performer, John Cena developed a massive connection with the younger fanbase. The 16-time world champion gradually transitioned into a part-time role in the 2010s. As a result, some current audience members born during that era may not know much about him.

Logan Paul, on the other hand, attracts today's younger generation thanks to his social media background. Mark Henry explained that a match against the YouTube megastar could intrigue Cena for this reason:

"He's been gone long enough that there are people that don't know who he is. Little kids, eight to 10-year-old kids, who are like, 'Who's that guy?' 'Oh my God, you don't know John Cena?' And now they're gonna get to find out. So, yeah man, you gotta stay relevant."

Not too long ago, Mark Henry made an interesting comparison between The Cenation Leader and a rising AEW star. You can read more about it here.

Would you like to see John Cena vs. Logan Paul at WWE WrestleMania 39? Sound off in the comments section below.

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Please credit Busted Open and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.