With John Cena set to make his WWE return only a few months after his retirement, the legendary star is appearing at WrestleMania 42.
Taking to social media to note that he is available for WrestleMania 42 hosting duties, it remains to be seen how many shenanigans Cena will get into at the big event and how they might lead to more appearances later.
Here are five possibilities for the next time John Cena makes a WWE appearance after his WrestleMania 42 return.
5. Special Guest Referee At Backlash 2026 In Tampa
With John Cena poised to host WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, his return to WWE has been faster than some expected.
Just retiring from WWE in December, Cena will presumably be more like his real self versus playing the ‘John Cena character’ from his past time in the company.
Adding a new layer of intrigue, it could be that Cena gets pulled into the drama at Mania in such a way that it ends up making complete sense to see him formally involved by the time Backlash 2026 arrives to Tampa on May 9.
With only a few weeks between WrestleMania 42 and Backlash, perhaps Cena could serve as an impartial referee for any Mania rematches set to happen in Tampa.
4. WWE Raw After WrestleMania 42
With the WWE Raw after WrestleMania earning a reputation for having surprises and returns, perhaps John Cena will stick around Las Vegas for an extra appearance.
After his WrestleMania 42 hosting duties could certainly kick off a new rivalry for the retired star, Cena could make a surprise appearance at WWE Raw to continue to the story.
With a looming mystery of who both Adam Pearce and Randy Orton have been consulting on the phone over recent months, there could be a Final Boss sized reveal happening in Las Vegas.
With both Cena and The Rock able to continue to play a role in ongoing storylines in WWE without actually competing, there could be a new on-screen era of John Cena arriving soon.
3. Commentary During Royal Rumble 2027
One underutilized skill of John Cena in WWE could be his ability to provide color commentary.
With his hosting skills on the TBS revival series Wipeout holding strong over several seasons before the series’ cancellation, John Cena definitely could add a voice to WWE commentary.
Specifically popping up for only marquee matches or for an annual appearance, having John Cena lend his voice to the action in the Royal Rumble could be a great way to keep him involved.
Specifically able to speak to the emotion of the performers as well as call specific attention to some of the more nuanced moments throughout the bout, John Cena could become a vital voice for the annual event.
2. Special Guest Referee At SummerSlam 2026
With SummerSlam coming up in Minneapolis in August 2026, there could end up being a few matches that could use the veteran presence of John Cena.
Perhaps one that could tie in to his own retirement tour, John Cena could serve as a special guest referee for a match between GUNTHER and Brock Lesnar.
With Lesnar already set to face Oba Femi at WrestleMania 42, rumors have swirled that Brock could be looking to retire in 2026.
Potentially serving as the special guest referee for the bout, Cena would be on hand to ensure that GUNTHER didn’t pull any shenanigans to capture a win and thereby retire Brock Lesnar.
1. WWE Hall of Fame 2027 induction
Some fans expected that John Cena may not appear in WWE for some time, potentially returning for a future WWE Hall of Fame induction. However, with Cena already set to pop up a few months after retirement at WrestleMania 42, he could be set for a surprise announcement.
With WrestleMania 43 still set to be hosted in Saudi Arabia, it would make sense to see John Cena’s Hall of Fame induction announced well in advance.
Honoring John Cena as the marquee Hall of Fame inductee for the class of 2027 could logistically make sense as well, centering the event on the career of Cena providing plenty of time for fans to get excited about the induction.
While fans expect John Cena to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame at some point in the future, 2027 might be perfect.
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