From the WWE Rumor Mill: John Cena's Smackdown return date revealed

We finally have a return date for the Face that Runs the Place.

Recently, Cena has been promoting his latest film The Wall.

               What’s the Story?

“The Face that Runs the Place” has been absent since Wrestlemania. After proposing to his longtime girlfriend, Nikki Bella, the 16-time world champion took a break from wrestling to work on a few outside projects.

In case You didn’t know...

John Cena made his return to Smackdown Live on December 27th, vying for his 16thworld title reign. He would go on to defeat AJ Styles for the WWE Championship at the Royal Rumble to tie the legendary record held by Ric Flair. The reign wouldn’t last long, however, as he would lose the belt to Bray Wyatt two weeks later at Elimination Chamber.

He would then go on to feud with the Miz and Maryse, tagging with his, then, girlfriend Nikki Bella against the duo at Wrestlemania. He would then propose to Nikki after the bout. Cena has been gone for a few months, now, promoting his latest film “The Wall.” He’s also working on other films scheduled for release at later dates.

The heart of the matter

WWE will be making its way to the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona on July 3rd and 4th, with Cena being advertised to appear on Smackdown Live on July 4th. This will be his first appearance on WWE programming since Wrestlemania 33.

As of right now, that is the only event Cena is scheduled for, though we can assume he’ll be coming back to break the record held by himself and the Nature Boy. A possible feud with Shinsuke Nakamura too sounds like an interesting proposition. 

What’s next?

With the former 16-time champ returning in the summer, we can only assume that he’ll be thrown into the world title picture in some respect. Whether that means he continues his feud with Orton remains to be seen. After the recent call-ups from NXT and the Superstar Shakeup, there are a few matchups many fans would like to see.

As for the WWE championship, it may be held by a certain Maharaja before Cena can return to the Blue Brand. Randy Orton is slated to take on Jinder Mahal at Backlash on May 21st. It’s quite possible that Orton may be without a title very soon.

Author’s take

While we aren’t sure if Cena’s coming back for one night only or if it's for longer, we can assume he’s sticking around for a few months, and that’s great for Smackdown Live. With new additions like Shinsuke Nakamura, Jinder Mahal, Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, Cena has a lot more competition this time around.

The leader of the Cenation worked great programs with AJ Styles and the Miz while working on Tuesday nights, so I can’t wait to see who he sets his sights on next. Could the King of Strong Style challenge Cena? Could Baron Corbin lay out the former champion to show his dominance?

There are so many paths Cena can take upon his return, and it’s possible that Smackdown will be quite different from when he left. I think I speak for everyone when I say I can’t wait to see the Champ come back home.