WWE is setting the stage for the return of The Rock and these other major stars.
WWE is nearing WrestleMania season, and you know what that means: Some blockbuster returns are on the horizon.
Credit: WWE.com Credit: WWE.com
Virtually ever year, the road to WWE’s biggest pay-per-view of the year is paved way with plenty of epic returns and unforgettable comebacks, and that was especially true on the road to WrestleMania 34. In route to WWE’s biggest pay-per-view of the year, fans witnessed a slew of memorable signings and in-ring returns, ranging from Ronda Rousey to Kurt Angle to Daniel Bryan to John Cena to The Undertaker. All of the shocking developments in the months leading up to the pay-per-view created a stellar slate of matches for WWE’s flagship pay-per-view, which was one of the best ‘Manias in recent memory.
This year should prove to be no different.
The rumor mill is abuzz with reports and speculation that a number of marquee stars could return to WWE programming in the near future and find themselves involved in a marquee WrestleMania 35 match, which may be a necessity given the company’s historically low viewership. Whether those stars are coming back to WWE after several years away from the company, are returning from injury or are getting back into the mix after a long hiatus, a plethora of huge names could soon show up on Raw or SmackDown just in time to land themselves a major WrestleMania match.
John Cena
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Since his ascension to the top of WWE a dozen years ago, John Cena has had a match at every single WrestleMania except WrestleMania 32, where an injury prevented him from having an actual match but he did appear on the show.
Cena’s trend of always having a significant match at WrestleMania should continue this year, even with Cena’s budding acting career leaving him off both Raw and SmackDown for the majority of 2018. The absence of Roman Reigns, who is unlikely to be back in time for WrestleMania 35, could pave the way for Cena to return to the main event picture at or around The Royal Rumble, with the idea being that WWE will want Cena, its No. 2 merchandise mover and perhaps its biggest star, around because Reigns probably won’t be.
Although there is no obvious feud lined up for « The Champ » and he’s oddly been pulled from multiple matches at upcoming live events (and is only advertised to appear), there is certainly a slew of potentially huge dream matches waiting for him. Prior to Cena pulling out of the controversial Crown Jewel event, he was reportedly set to face Rey Mysterio at the event while he was once slated to feud with Samoa Joe, has been linked to a potential rematch with The Undertaker and hasn’t had a proper feud with top stars like Finn Balor, Braun Strowman, Drew McIntyre or even Dean Ambrose. He’s now advertised for a plethora of upcoming live events and is slated to make his TV return on Raw next month, suggesting he could be in line for a huge rivalry on the red brand.
As has been the custom over the past several years, it’s highly likely that the WrestleMania 35 card will be chock full of part-timers, and with Triple H sidelined, no confirmation regarding The Undertaker’s future and the absence of full-timers like Reigns, Cena is a strong candidate to return to the top of the card and get a high-profile ‘Mania match.
Bray Wyatt
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Bray Wyatt has been off TV since his tag team partnership with Matt Hardy ended a few months ago, and the belief is that WWE is keeping him off Raw in order to reset his character whenever he does come back.
