WWE officials have discussed a potential feud between two top babyface Superstars, John Cena and Cody Rhodes. According to a report from @WRKDWrestling, Cena vs. Rhodes has been considered as a possibility during Cena’s upcoming return stint, which begins tonight on SmackDown on FOX.
Cena is set to make his return to WWE TV during tonight’s SmackDown in Hershey, PA, and his next announced appearance is the WWE Superstar Spectacle event in India on September 8. However, there have been discussions within WWE about Cena potentially serving as the special guest host for Saturday’s WWE Payback event in Pittsburgh. Rhodes is also scheduled to work Payback, making an appearance on the special PLE debut of The Grayson Waller Effect.
Interestingly, Rhodes has recently been added to the September 8 SmackDown in Cena’s hometown of Boston, MA. However, Cena will not be present that night as he is booked for the Superstar Spectacle in India.
Cena made his return to RAW earlier this year on March 6 in Boston, leading up to his WrestleMania 39 loss to Austin Theory. After agreeing to the match, Cena cut a promo on the then-United States Champion and declared that he was not ready for the WrestleMania stage. Cena then introduced someone who he believed was ready for The Grandest Stage of Them All – Cody Rhodes. Cena and Rhodes reunited on the RAW stage, sharing a heartfelt embrace and exchanging some friendly words that were inaudible to the fans. Rhodes later revealed the advice Cena gave him on that night.
Cena and Rhodes have faced off multiple times in the past, mostly in multi-man matches when Cena was working with Legacy from 2008-2009. However, their most recent encounter saw Rhodes competing as Stardust. The following Cena vs. Rhodes televised singles matches have taken place – Cena defeated Rhodes by DQ on the September 7, 2009 RAW; Cena defeated Rhodes on the February 1, 2010 RAW; Cena defeated Rhodes on the January 28, 2013 RAW; Cena retained the WWE United States Title over Stardust on the April 6, 2015 RAW.
Here is Cena’s current announced WWE schedule:
- Friday, September 1 at the GIANT Center in Hershey, PA (SmackDown, Payback go-home show)
- Friday, September 8 at the GMC Balayogi Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad, India (Superstar Spectacle, teaming with WWE World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins to take on Ludwig Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci)
- Friday, September 15 at the Ball Arena in Denver, CO (SmackDown)
- Friday, September 22 at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ (SmackDown)
- Friday, September 29 at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, CA (SmackDown)
- Friday, October 6 at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, MO (SmackDown, Fastlane go-home show)
- Friday, October 13 at the BOK Center in Tulsa, OK (SmackDown)
- Friday, October 20 at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX (SmackDown)
- Friday, October 27 at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, WI (SmackDown)
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