John Cena enters the ring and poses with his United States championship at WWE SummerSlam 2015. (Photo : Getty Images/JP Yim)
John Cena has been out of action due to a shoulder injury since the start of 2016. He is set to return at the Memorial Day episode of Monday Night Raw on May 30 and there is already a rumored storyline waiting for him.
According to Daily DDT, Cena may be put in the Money in the Bank Ladder Match at the MITB pay-per-view. However, the most likely scenario for the 15-time WWE World champion is to have a feud with someone.
They said the surgery recovery time is 9 months, but I’m ready to go in 5. This #MemorialDay Cena is back on #Raw. #NeverGiveUp
— John Cena (@JohnCena) April 25, 2016
The report noted that Cena could be put in a storyline with Rusev, who is the number one contender for the United States championship. The Bulgarian Brute won a Battle Royal in the May 2 episode of Raw, eliminating Zack Ryder last.
Rusev will be challenging Kalisto for the US title at "Extreme Rules" and he could very well win it. He is no longer part of the League of Nations and he needs the US championship to regain his momentum.
Before Cena got injured, he was trying to regain the US championship from Alberto Del Rio. He lost the US title to Del Rio at "Hell in a Cell" in October before going on hiatus, making his return two months later then getting injured the next week.
The 39-year-old WWE superstar underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff on January 6 at the Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, Alabama under Dr. Jeffrey Dugas. He was given a nine-month recovery period but it looks like he will be out for just five months.
Cena was never given a proper rematch for his US title due to his injury. Shane and Stephanie McMahon, who run Monday Night Raw, will likely give him a rematch with Rusev at "Money in the Bank" on June 19 at the newly-built T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
As recapped by WWE.com, Cena made a surprise appearance at WrestleMania 32 to help his former rival, The Rock, fight off The Wyatt Family. He was not cleared to return for a match but was given the green light to do some light contact just to create a big WrestleMania moment.
Cena and Rusev have already been involved in a feud with each other last year. Cena ended Rusev's undefeated streak and defeated him at WrestleMania 31 to win the US title.
When he was the US champion, Cena elevated the title by having a weekly US Open Challenge that produced some of the best matches of the year. The Leader of the Cenation defended his US title to superstars like Dean Ambrose, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn and Cesaro.
Check the video below for some of the highlights of Cena's US Open Challenge.
