WWE: John Cena’s Rumored Plans For The Royal Rumble

The face that runs the place will be making his return to the WWE this Tuesday night on Smackdown LIVE from Chicago. As we reported last week, John Cena is expected to make an announcement that will have Wrestlemania implications upon his return.

Multiple sources are now speculating that we will find out that the announcement will be that Cena will be facing AJ Styles for the WWE championship at the Royal Rumble event. Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter had earlier suggested that Cena will straight head into the title picture upon his return on Smackdown Live.

While this gives Cena a chance to go after Ric Flair’s 16 world championship, it seriously puts the much-anticipated rumored match between AJ Styles vs. The Undertaker in serious jeopardy. Previously most of the speculations suggested that Taker would get the chance to win the championship at the Rumble, setting up a dream match between the Deadman and Cena at Wrestlemania; possibly with a career vs title stipulation.

Even with this new development, cagesideseats.com is reporting that Cena vs Taker is still on the table for Wrestlemania.

Unlike recent years, February’s Smackdown only Elimination Chamber gives the WWE an opportunity to switch the belt between the Rumble and Wrestlemania. While this is a convenient way to nullify the results of the Rumble championship match, it leaves open the possibility of Smackdown’s champion having only held the belt for a little over a month heading into Wrestlemania 33.

The consensus among experts and fans has long been that Cena would not achieve his goal of tying the Nature Boy until he reached the grand stage of Wrestlemania. While tying the record is a massive achievement, its very possible that the WWE is looking down the road a bit, thus wanting to save Cena’s crowning Wrestlemania moment for when he could break the all-time record at Wrestlemania 34.

Would you like to see Cena tie Ric Flair’s record at this year’s Royal Rumble?

Listen to ComicBook.com’s Over The Ropes podcast:

MORE WWE: This Is What Paige Could Look Like As Wonder Woman / Becky Lynch Vs The Pineapple Can Is The Best /Alexa Bliss, Becky Lynch, And More Bring WWE’s Winter Wonderland To Life / 5 Superstars Who Need To Be Repackaged / The Mixed Legacy Of The NXT Championship / 5 Trades That Would Make Both Brands Better / Baron Corbin Is Set For A Huge Push In 2017 / Why The Miz Is Having The Best Year Ever / Braun Strowman Destroys Roman Reigns And Seth Rollins / Sting Signs With The Dallas Cowboys