John Cena salutes the crowd at WWE SummerSlam 2015. (Photo : Getty Images/JP Yim)
John Cena is set to return from a shoulder injury in the Memorial Day episode of Monday Night Raw on May 30. The latest rumors suggest that one of the plans for Cena is to win back the United States championship and hold the U.S. Open Challenge once again.
The 15-time WWE World Heavyweight champion underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder and was given by doctors nine months of recovery time. However, Cena showed his ability to overcome long injuries by making an appearance at "WrestleMania 32" and being cleared to return at the end of May.
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
Before Cena suffered an injury, he defeated Alberto Del Rio via disqualification and was not properly given a rematch for the U.S. title. According to Cageside Seats, winning the U.S. championship again and bringing back the Open Challenge are being discussed as one of the possible storylines for his return.
The current U.S. champion is Rusev, who recently defeated Kalisto at "Extreme Rules" on Sunday, May 23. It will likely set up a feud with the returning Cena that could go on for a couple of months.
The feud between Cena and Rusev will not be their first program since they faced each other in the early parts of 2015. The "American Grit" host won the U.S. championship for the fourth time by defeating Rusev at "WrestleMania 31" and holding it until SummerSlam.
The U.S. Open Challenge was also born during his reign that proved very entertaining and opened doors to a lot of young superstars. It produced some of the best matches of Cena's career including bouts against Kevin Owens, Cesaro, Dean Ambrose and Sami Zayn.
Cena holding a championship may be the best way to go for his return since he will be hosting the 2016 ESPY Awards on July 13. It would be a good look not only for the superstar but also for the WWE that is looking for more mainstream attention.
"They asked, and of course, I said yes. It goes without saying it's a tremendous honor. The prestige of the show grows every year. It's unbelievable," Cena said in an interview with ESPN.
Check out the video for WWE's hype video for Cena's return to Raw on May 30.
