John Cena WWE Return: Shinsuke Nakamura, Baron Corbin Are Logical Feuds For SummerSlam, MITB

John Cena hasn’t appeared on WWE TV since WrestleMania 33, but it shouldn’t be long before he makes his way back into a professional wrestling ring. When he does return, Cena will have a handful of options for his first feud.

Following WWE’s Superstar Shakeup, there aren’t a whole lot of established heels on the “SmackDown Live” roster. That’s part of the reason why Jinder Mahal is getting a WWE Championship shot at Backlash, and it could mean Cena will have a match against a wrestler that’s never won a major WWE title at Money in the Bank or SummerSlam 2017.

It’s unknown exactly when Cena will make his return, though he’s almost certain to be on the card at SummerSlam. He could come back within the next few weeks, allowing him to have a PPV match before WWE’s biggest remaining show this year.

Let’s take a look at three possible feuds for Cena’s return.

Baron Corbin

WWE seems to have high hopes for Corbin. A year after winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, he had a match against Dean Ambrose for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania 33. Despite losing at the PPV, he’s been booked extremely strong over the last 12 months, and he could eventually become the top heel on “SmackDown Live.” As a result, he’s the early favorite to win the Money in the Bank briefcase.

Many of Cena’s biggest programs have been against up-and-coming heels in recent years. He faced Bray Wyatt and Rusev at consecutive WrestleManias in each WWE superstar’s first-ever WrestleMania singles match, and he feuded with Kevin Owens when the current United States Champion made his main-roster debut. A feud with Cena, and possibly a win over the 16-time world champion at SummerSlam, could immediately make Corbin one of the blue brand’s top stars.

Rusev

Cena and Rusev had a lengthy feud two years ago, but that doesn’t mean the superstars can’t have another program in 2017. Working with a star of Cena’s caliber is never a bad thing, but Rusev didn’t emerge from the feud as a star. Cena became the first WWE superstar to pin Rusev, beating him in three of their four PPV matches. Perhaps this time around Rusev could get the better of WWE’s top star.

Having missed some time due to injury, WWE appears to have big plans for Rusev. He might get a WWE Championship opportunity against Randy Orton at Money in the Bank, and he’s among the most talented wrestlers that have yet to get a singles match for a world title. If Rusev stays healthy, he’s got a good chance to win one of the company’s top championships within the next year.

Shinsuke Nakamura

Look no further than last year when AJ Styles and Cena had arguably the best feud of 2016. Already an established star that had recently been a champion in Japan, Styles came to WWE and had terrific matches with Cena, solidifying his spot as one of the biggest names in the company. After all of his success in Japan and NXT, Nakamura can do the same after a major program with Cena.

The biggest issue is that both Nakamura and Cena are babyfaces, and neither is likely to turn heel anytime soon. That might mean they can’t have a prolonged feud, though a match at SummerSlam could end up being the best on the card.