Cena's opponent at WM 31

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

John Cena's been the face of the WWE for the last 10 years, longer than Austin, Rock and even Hogan's golden run from 1984 to 1992. However with current plans suggesting Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns for the WWE WH Championship at 'Mania 31, Cena might stay out of the ME for a second year in a row. So the question is simple, who does Cena face at 'Mania?

Here are my options:
Daniel Bryan
This comes from Martyn Nolan's suggested idea in his column. Bryan comes back, Cena turns on Bryan in order to prove that he's better than him and that the fans should love him after all the work and sacrifices he's done for them over the years. Higly unlikely, since i don't see WWE pulling the trigger on a heel turn yet.

Cesaro or Barret
Two up and coming heels (or faces, for the crowd) facing the "man" at 'Mania in order to prove themselves. Simple Cena vs heel booking.

Seth Rollins
Current Money In The Bank contract holder and future Main-Eventer (hopefully), Seth Rollins. With Cena going against the Authority it'd make sense for him and Rollins to square off at the grandest stage of them all.

Triple H
Same reason as above, however that's match of 6 years past it's time.

Rusev
Typical U.S.A vs Foreign heel feud. Cena has shown many times his dedication towards his country and it's a feud that makes sense (for the WWE). "Mr. America" Hulk Hogan could get involved as well and it could also be a match for the United States Championship with Rusev being the defending champion. Horrible idea IMO.

Last but not least:
Dean Ambrose
Ambrose is a face I know, but he doesn't need to turn for this one. He can basically come out and "shoot" John Cena, critisizing his work and "phony" dedication. This idea actually came to me by taking the Austin-Bret and Punk-Cena rivalry and mixing the together. Ambrose would want to prove that he's the better man. Mic skills and charisma at its finest by both sides. My current favourite choice.

Choose yours!
If you have other choices in mind, please comment.

 

[GeminiGarlord]

Rusev will be out of WM unless he is still undefeated, and if he is surely feed him to Cena would be useless.

I'd say Triple H or Orton, at this point the only feud that would make sense without a title on the line is probably one with the authority.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

While I know this is unlikely to happen, it's still something that's stuck in my mind.

During his promo last night, John Cena stated something that COULD be construed as an insult when he mentioned how The Undertaker hasn't been seen in 6 months while he was back on Raw a week after sustaining his loss to Lesnar. I'm not saying it'll happen, not even saying that it should happen, but I could see WWE going down the road of delivering Taker vs. Cena due to Taker considering Cena's comments as a sign of disrespect.

Of course, Taker's future inside the ring is 100% up in the air at this point. The streak is dead, hence there's really no reason for him to return. He's done everything, feuded with everyone and, most importantly, his physical health is in serious question. It's been a question for the past 5 years or so in particular, but never more so after Taker's dismal physical conditioning for WrestleMania XXX.

 

[Pedigree1]

While disagree with JH on Taker and its only because of undertakers health and if he were to go in the ring,i would fear for his safety.. Undertaker should have walked away 2 years ago,but thats another topic. As to who Cena should face,it should be Daniel Bryan.. Their one and only match at Summerslam 2013 was pure magic.. Loved that match,and the crowd was all the way behind DB.

Its no secret that we all want Cena to turn heel.. He has been the same Cena forever now.. Cena could finally snap and say he has had enough,and attacks Daniel Bryan at the Royal Rumble.. Maybe sneaking in after he has been eliminated and throwing Daniel Bryan out. That could be the beginning of Cenas Heel Turn.. Cena at this point in his career no longer needs the title to be the Face of the company.. While he wont be the face forever,imo attacking Daniel Bryan at the RR would be a great start to his most anticipated Heel Turn..

 

[turnkey582000]

John Cena's been the face of the WWE for the last 10 years, longer than Austin, Rock and even Hogan's golden run from 1984 to 1992. However with current plans suggesting Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns for the WWE WH Championship at 'Mania 31, Cena might stay out of the ME for a second year in a row. So the question is simple, who does Cena face at 'Mania?

Here are my options:
Daniel Bryan
This comes from Martyn Nolan's suggested idea in his column. Bryan comes back, Cena turns on Bryan in order to prove that he's better than him and that the fans should love him after all the work and sacrifices he's done for them over the years. Higly unlikely, since i don't see WWE pulling the trigger on a heel turn yet.

Cesaro or Barret
Two up and coming heels (or faces, for the crowd) facing the "man" at 'Mania in order to prove themselves. Simple Cena vs heel booking.

Seth Rollins
Current Money In The Bank contract holder and future Main-Eventer (hopefully), Seth Rollins. With Cena going against the Authority it'd make sense for him and Rollins to square off at the grandest stage of them all.

Triple H
Same reason as above, however that's match of 6 years past it's time.

Rusev
Typical U.S.A vs Foreign heel feud. Cena has shown many times his dedication towards his country and it's a feud that makes sense (for the WWE). "Mr. America" Hulk Hogan could get involved as well and it could also be a match for the United States Championship with Rusev being the defending champion. Horrible idea IMO.

Last but not least:
Dean Ambrose
Ambrose is a face I know, but he doesn't need to turn for this one. He can basically come out and "shoot" John Cena, critisizing his work and "phony" dedication. This idea actually came to me by taking the Austin-Bret and Punk-Cena rivalry and mixing the together. Ambrose would want to prove that he's the better man. Mic skills and charisma at its finest by both sides. My current favourite choice.

Choose yours!
If you have other choices in mind, please comment.[/QUOTE.... How about Cena face Lesner,Have him just SNAP,totally destroy Lesner get out of the ring get himself counted out walk up the ramp with the belt lay it down raise his hands and say "THE CHAMP IS HERE" leave the belt and walk out!!

 

[turnkey582000]

How about Cena face Lesner,Have him just SNAP,totally destroy Lesner get out of the ring get himself counted out walk up the ramp with the belt lay it down raise his hands and say "THE CHAMP IS HERE" leave the belt and walk out!!

 

[kadroan]

I think it'll be Rusev. Seems like WWE management is really high on him. He's defeating former world champions.

If you exclude Cena's most recent title reign, his career is starting to be like HBK's in his later years where he's facing younger talent on the big stage.

Cena is the last threat to Rusev's streak. I expect Rusev to run through Henry, Show, and whoever else comes in his way.

They can easily hype this match as his career vs. the streak.

 

[JoeMallard]

I think it's pretty obvious that it will be Daniel Bryan.
The story sells itself. Bryan returns at Rumble, Cena throws him out. Why split the Bella twins, if not to get the probable soon to be brother in laws to turn against each other?

 

[JoeMallard]

I think it'll be Rusev. Seems like WWE management is really high on him. He's defeating former world champions.

If you exclude Cena's most recent title reign, his career is starting to be like HBK's in his later years where he's facing younger talent on the big stage.

Cena is the last threat to Rusev's streak. I expect Rusev to run through Henry, Show, and whoever else comes in his way.

They can easily hype this match as his career vs. the streak.

Like that hasn't happened before. Look at Khali and Umaga for example. Supercena would prevail. It would be Cenas redemption!

 

[TheMainEvent]

I still think it'll be Cena vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania this year. Considering Cena is winding down his career and Taker is a match or two away from being done its now or never for the match and without the streak to worry about they could have a great match that Cena could potentially win. Throw in the rumored Triple H vs Batista and Lesnar vs Reigns matches and you have a solid top 3 main events for the card next spring.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

I see a lot of people suggesting the Cena vs Undertaker match-up which for me is, a super dream match. However Sting's here. He's been vocal about facing Taker at 'Mania. Think about it, when a wrestler is vocal about something in social media, it usually happens. Jericho vs Punk is a perfect example. Remember how Y2J kept saying he wanted Punk at 'Mania 28?

So, that's basically the main reason The Deadman was not included in the list.

 

[Mudlup50]

I think Bryan v Cena makes sense, and really it's just because everyone else is busy and if anything this COULD be the passing of the figurative torch everyone loves xD here's my Wrestlemania Card based on what I've read.

Reigns v Lesnar
Ambrose v HHH

Plus isn't there that unwritten rule that states "the champ who won at the previous Mania with nothing to do, takes on the next highest guy with nothing to do?" Bryan would be the former champ from Mania...and Cena will be the next highest guy. Plus as was mentioned they bring in the Bellas, we'll probably see a mixed tag match at EC. Dare I say this match would go to Bryan.

Or Bryan could come back and get little reaction from the audience and they can have him start a program with Rollins ;D a feud that would help get them both over

 

[Good Golly It's Ollie]

No idea at this point as it's all speculation.

However, seeing Cena over the past few months reminds me of 2006 Triple H, where he retreats from main event a little and starts feuding with newer guys or lower card guys who need the rub. I think Cena could pick up the strap again, but it'll be less frequent now as WWE are building a handful of new guys.

That in mind, I immediately thought of Rollins. This assumes he'll still be heel by WM but he is my personal preference at this point in time. Rollins could conceivably win as well, provided he has some backup. I don't think he would win clean as it doesn't really fit in his current character.

Mudlap, you mentioned DB. Bryan in a "pass the torch" scenario does also sound good, and I would enjoy it, but I think at this point he doesn't exactly need a victory over another top guy as much as some of the other suggestions, given his last WM performance. He is established and I think both him and Cena could be utilised in other ways.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

John Cena vs Undertaker would be a disappointment and a waste considering the streak is over and that Taker is a shell of his former self. It was a match I was clamoring for for years at Wrestlemania, but now that the streak is done and seeing the condition Taker is in, I have no desire to see it as the magic just simply wouldn't be there. The only way I could see this one going down is if Undertaker wants one great last match to go out on and in that case, nobody could carry him to one better than John Cena.

I would LOVE to see John Cena vs Dean Ambrose. I would like for all of the Shield guys to have high profile matches at Wrestlemania next year. Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship is all but marked down as happening so we got that. Have Cena face Ambrose and I would throw Seth Rollins against Triple H in a turn on Authority type of angle where Triple H screws him at some point probably because of losing the briefcase or something.

Roman Reigns doesn't need to be THE face of the company, he can be just a top guy along with Rollins and Ambrose. I believe it will be THIER Wrestlemania and it will usher in a new era with the 3 of them standing tall in their matches at the show. They can be the trio that every generation has had like Hulk Hogan, Macho Man and Warrior from the golden era, The Rock, Triple H and Stone Cold from the Attitude Era, John Cena, Batista, Randy Orton for the last era.

 

[Mitch Henessey]

I'll go with Rusev.

I have no doubts WWE will use mark Henry as another stepping stone to add some more legitimacy to his undefeated streak, and Cena will be the one to end it all at Wrestlemania. Cena is the patriotic face/flag bearer of the WWE, and I can picture a storyline, where Cena is built up as the last line of defense to stop the evil foreigner's dominant reign.

Of course, Cena gets the win, because that's what pro wrestling, and damn near all forms of storytelling are about. The forces of good rising to the occasion, and overcoming the odds to defeat a seemingly unstoppable evil power. If the match is competitive with Rusev giving Cena a strong fight, then he'll be fine after the loss, because he stood toe to toe with John Cena at Wrestlemania.

The match ends with Cena waving the American flag in the middle of the ring, but if the match happens, I'm sure we'll see plenty of "Cena doesn't need the win!" complaints or "WWE is using Cena as the go-to-guy for the savoir role AGAIN!!!"

Daniel Bryan VS Cena is a runner up, but after his decisive loss to Brock Lesnar at Summerslam (and you have to assume Cena loses at NOC) I can't imagine John Cena losing so many big time matches leading up to another big loss at Wrestlemania. Plus, if the match is for the title, and WWE tries to play up Cena tying or breaking Ric Flair's record in a match with Bryan, you're running the risk of a possible revolt from the live crowd, if Cena wins. And you don't want to close out Wrestlemania with a negative image featuring thousands of boos or a noticeable mixed reaction.

 

[BigDaddyKewl]

Roman Reigns is another money match for Cena that they are likely saving for one of the bigger pay per views. The build up could be similar to The Ultimate Warrior vs Hulk Hogan at Wrestlemania 6 with the face of the company against the next rising star. Cena seems to work well with bigger opponents and I think he would carry Reigns to a good match and put him over. This match could really bring Reigns to that next level.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

There's only two matches that I see as potential for Cena:

John Cena vs Sting
This is a major WrestleMania marquee matchup, similar to Cena/Rock. I don't think Taker is happening anymore, yet Sting still wants one match in WWE at WM. If Sting is going to have one more match, it is going to be at WM, and if it isn't against Taker (which most signs point to not happening), it should be vs Cena.

John Cena vs Seth Rollins
If it's not Sting, put Cena against an up and coming heel like last year vs Bray Wyatt. The only up and coming heel worthy enough is Seth Rollins. Though, personally it'd likely mean Rollins loses at 'Mania, though hopefully cashes in vs Reigns later in the night or the next night on RAW. Has the MITB ever been cashed in at WM? This could be a huge moment, and keep Rollins momentum going despite a loss to Cena earlier in the night. However my personal preference is the above situation but with Rollins vs Bryan and Cena vs Sting.

 

[WBL]

Have him fight some celebrity. That way, the smarks will be happy that his storyline doesn't effect the 'real wrestlers' on the card, the marks will be happy because it's Cena taking on anyone and everyone, corporate will be happy because it'll garner them more media attention and crossover appeal, etc.

And make it Dustin Diamond. Screech from Saved By The Bell. Hell, he did pretty damn good in that Hogan Celebrity Wrestling show (although that show was FIXED FROM THE START, the winner was Hogan's nWo running buddy Dennis Rodman), and if there's anyone that'll annoy even the IWC more than Cena, it's Screech.

 

[MCMG]

There are plenty of options for Cena and it is very unlikely that he will feature in a World Title match. Indeed, if The Rock was to wrestle at this years Mania then I would suggest he faces Brock in which case Cena is in the championship match. Either against Bryan or Reigns.

The main options are probably Cesaro, Rollins and Sting are the stand-outs. Cesaro v Cena would be an amazing match. These two would put on a classic and Cena could make Cesaro look awesome, once more.

Cena v Rollins is fairly standard. Rollins is the future and Cena could put him over either before he cashes in- boosting his credibility- or after he has lost the World Title/his MITB opportunity. Sound good and makes sense to me.

Cena v Sting is the curious one. Sting v Taker is the obvious dream match but they could do that sooner or, indeed, Taker may not be ready. While I'd love this to be Sting's last ever match, I reckon it is unlikely.

There are other options. Rusev and Taker are options but I can't see it. This time last year I would never have predicted Bray Wyatt facing Cena so I'm excited to see what they do with their biggest star.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

Cena and Rollins has a lot of appeal to me. I'm also projecting ahead a bit and thinking about where both are likely to be come WrestleMania time. Cena has been stepping out of the limelight, and taking the mid card matches more, and in Rollins he'd find himself in the same position that he did with Wyatt this year: against a hot up and comer. Rollins in 2014 has been what Bryan in 2013 was. Simply put, year after year, he's been just the most outstanding performer in the ring. I can see that earning him a high profile match against Cena, and it would be a crowdpleaser.

 

[king1836]

I hope it's the Undertaker. It's a match I've been wanting to see since 2009.