Original Plans For John Cena at ‘Crown Jewel’ Revealed

A few weeks ago, WrestlingRumors reported that John Cena was the frontrunner to win WWE’s “World Cup” tournament. Unfortunately, the sixteen-time WWE Champion made the decision to take himself out of the tournament and request not to go to Saudi Arabia at all. He was replaced by Bobby Lashley and won’t be appearing at Crown Jewel at all.

Given Cena’s position in Hollywood and clean image, it’s understandable why he would want to stay out of the entire Saudi Arabia situation. However, some new information has come to light and his original role in the tournament was very exaggerated. A new report from the Wrestling Observer, that Cena was scheduled to lose in the first round.

Related: John Cena  Out Of World Cup Of Wrestling And Replacement Named

Apparently, the plan was for John Cena to square off against Rey Mysterio and put him over in the first round. Because Cena is on strict rules about what he can and can’t do in the ring during his WWE appearances, he wouldn’t have been able to wrestle more than a single match. That’s why WWE wanted him to appear and quickly put over Mysterio.

It’s unclear if John Cena will be returning for Survivor Series or other shows for the rest of 2018. The expectation was Cena could return for much of the fall, but that clearly has not been the case. He has confirmed his status for WrestleMania 35, but that leaves the next five months wide open. Most people also expect him to be a part of Royal Rumble.

John Cena's Greatest World Title Triumphs: WWE Top 10

The other issue is commitments to Hollywood could keep him from working a match for WWE. He can be a part of the show, but it seems Cena’s days of wrestling are over. It’s not a surprise, but WWE fans need to lower their expectations for him moving forward.

Do you think John Cena should have an official retirement match?