John Cena recently made his return to WWE to celebrate his 20th anniversary with the company. During the show, the 16-time world champion had an exchange with Theory, which led to fans believing the two would compete in a match for SummerSlam. But based on recent events in WWE, it doesn’t look like Cena will compete in the 2022 version of the premium live event. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, Cena has not been advertised for upcoming television shows, meaning SummerSlam will not include the WWE legend.ย
“[Bobby] Lashley vs. Theory for the U.S. title is already official for the show, so the John Cena vs. Theory match is out and that would almost surely mean no Cena since he’d not advertised on any television shows. Cena vs. Theory was teased for some point down the line last week,” Meltzer wrote in the newsletter, via Thirsty for News. Theory is also the Money in the Bank winner meaning he could cash in his championship contract match after the Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns battle at SummerSlam.ย
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During his celebration, Cena addressed his future with WWE. “Returning to WWE, it’s a brand new world. A new cast of characters, new direction with the company, new platforms, new environment. There is a challenge there,” Cena said, per ComicBook.com. “To challenge myself as a 44-year-old to go back, there is an Intrinsic challenge there, a set of circumstances. That’s a good challenge in many ways. My body could tell me after this extended stay, ‘Dude, you’re done’ or it could tell me, ‘You’re so far from done it’s crazy.’ That’s another interesting conversation with myself. If physically, I’m slower, I’ve said openly to everyone that I will keep doing this until I feel I’m offending the customer. I will continually go out there and do what I can to contribute and add.
“I don’t want to go out there and be like, ‘Okay, just let him go out there and (do his thing).’ I’m not into that because I know what it’s like to pay for a ticket,” Cena added. “If I were to get that on this go-round, it’s a humbling and tough thing that I will have to hurdle.” Cena has been keeping busy in Hollywood. He is set to star in five upcoming films, including Fast X with Vin Diesel.ย
