John Cena

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.

Batista Clarifies Comments on Rock, Cena

WWE legend Batista took to Twitter to clarify comments he made about the possibility of teaming up with The Rock and John Cena in a movie. 

The Animal showed off a collage of his film roles, adding that he would "prefer not to be lumped in" and his initial comments were "nothing personal" against either superstar. 

Batista's clarification came after he said "nah, I'm good" when someone tweeted the trio of WWE legends should team up in a future movie. 

All three men have gone on to have successful film careers in recent years. Cena has followed in The Rock's footsteps as playing an antagonist in a Fast and Furious film.

It does seem unlikely that Batista will follow that path. He tweeted after Cena's casting in F9 two years ago that he would "rather do good films.”

Batista has alternated between starring roles and being a prominent supporting player in several features. The 52-year-old most recently played the lead role in Army of the Dead. 

Regardless of the divergent path their acting careers have taken, The Rock, Batista and Cena's crossover appeal speaks to how big their star power was throughout their WWE careers. 

Batista officially retired from WWE in April 2019 after losing to Triple H at WrestleMania 35. 

Eddie Kingston Shoots on WWE

After AEW Dynamite went off the air on Saturday night, Eddie Kingston stepped into the ring to cut a promo on WWE. 

Speaking to the live crowd in Jacksonville, Kingston said he was "burning another bridge" in reference to what he was going to say about WWE. 

Ladies and gentlemen, AEW cares about their fans. Because we are not here just to get ourselves a paycheck. We're here every week —with you people, without you people—and we come out here and we bust our asses. We love professional wrestling!

You saw a match between Kenny Omega and my dude, Jungle Boy, that you will not see on the other channel. You will not see legends who are respected on the other channel. You will not see people like me and my best friend (Penta) on the other channel. And you will not see the heart that everybody in that locker room has on the other channel.

AEW has established itself as a prominent wrestling promotion since its official launch in January 2019. 

One reason that AEW has found success so early in its run is because it's an alternative to the WWE product. The matches, storylines and presentation are different to what WWE does. 

Of course, WWE's formula has led to tremendous success for the company. 

Kingston has never officially worked for WWE, though he did have a tryout at the performance center in 2016. 

Things have certainly worked out well for Kingston since he made his AEW debut in July. The 39-year-old had a terrific feud with Jon Moxley for the AEW world title last year before teaming up with his rival for a showdown with the Young Bucks at Double or Nothing on May 30. 

Even though Moxley and Kingston were defeated, the match was one of the best AEW bouts of the year so far. 

Scarlett Reportedly Makes In-Ring Debut

WWE's main roster could be in for a shakeup with the draft reportedly set to take place later this summer. 

One potentially significant change would see Scarlett stepping into the ring as a regular wrestler. 

Per PW Insider (h/t Felix Upton of Ringside News), Scarlett received a main roster tryout prior to SmackDown on Friday against Shotzi Blackheart. 

The move to put Scarlett in the ring as a wrestler is a significant change from her current role as Karrion Kross' manager since debuting in NXT last year. 

Even though NXT hasn't used Scarlett as a wrestler, she has in-ring experience from her time in Ring of Honor, Impact Wrestling and Lucha Libre USA.  

According to Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men Pro Wrestling Podcast, WWE is targeting Aug. 30 and Sept. 3 for the draft this year. 

Zarian added the company has "big plans" for some Superstars changing brands. 

Kross and Scarlett have been pushed as the top stars on NXT since making their debuts. He originally won the NXT championship at NXT TakeOver: XXX by defeating Keith Lee, but a shoulder injury suffered during the match forced him to vacate the title four days later. 

During night two of NXT TakeOver: Stand & Deliver on April 8, Kross beat Finn Balor to regain the NXT title. 

There are no shortage of opportunities for WWE to develop new superstars on television. Scarlett has shown herself to be a talented performer as a manager. Giving her more to do if she moves up to the main roster makes sense for everyone involved. 

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

John Cena has kept himself busy since his last WWE appearance, with his latest film F9 out on Friday.

But the 16-time world heavyweight champion is planning to get back into the ring at some point, and he acknowledged rumors about his future in an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday.

"I'll definitely be back to the WWE, I just don't know when," he said. 

Rumors have been circulating about a potential return for Cena since May, when he posted the WWE logo on Instagram. Speaking to Fallon, he said he just shared the photo because he was "feeling rather nostalgic," but he is looking forward to his eventual return.

Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast said Cena could be in the running for the main event at SummerSlam, and Roman Reigns hinted at a potential fight against Cena or The Rock.

Jon Alba of Spectrum Sports reported June 9 that Cena will be free of acting commitments in July, which would line up with SummerSlam. That event is currently scheduled for August 21 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. 

If his return bout—whenever it is—were to happen, Cena would get a chance to earn his 17th world heavyweight title. Doing so would break his current tie with Ric Flair. 

"I haven't had my last match, and I can't wait to have my next match," he told Fallon. 

John Cena can smell motion-picture success if he and The Rock ever team up on the big screen.

Chatting with Complex, Cena said joining The Rock for a movie "would be entertaining", but it'll take more than just Cena's opinion to make that happen. Yet Cena is absolutely game for the team-up, saying he's in for the adventure.

Cena has two projects coming out this summer with F9: The Fast Saga and The Suicide Squad. The Rock is starring in Jungle Cruise and Red Notice next.

The two former WWE stars met at WrestleMania 28, with The Rock emerging victorious over Cena, though Cena would get revenge at WrestleMania 29, winning the WWE Championship.

There's no question both have been successful at carrying their own films. Getting them to star together in the same film would finally give WWE fans a long-awaited reunion.

Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from WWE and AEW.

Brock Lesnar Nearing WWE Return

Brock Lesnar has not been on WWE programming since his WrestleMania 36 loss to Drew McIntyre, his longest absence since returning to the company in 2012.

It appears the wait for his return is about over.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful reported Lesnar and WWE have been in discussions recently regarding his potential return. 

Few have so much as seen the reclusive Lesnar over the past year-plus, as he's chosen to stay home with his children and wife, former WWE star Sable. Given the fact he turns 44 in July, the time for a return is sooner rather than later if WWE wants to capitalize on what's left of his career.

Current WWE champion Bobby Lashley is a year older than Lesnar and Lesnar's part-time schedule affords his body plenty of time to recuperate between matches, so the age concerns aren't too great.

That said, a prizefight between Lashley and Lesnar has all the makings of a pay-per-view headliner—and a massive incentive to get fans to buy tickets once shows are back in arenas.

Becky Lynch...Also Nearing WWE Return

After more than 14 months out of the ring, Becky Lynch appears close to returning from pregnancy leave.

Lynch was at the Performance Center last week working out, and Mike Johnson of PW Insider reported she was also backstage at Sunday's Hell in a Cell pay-per-view. While Lynch did not make an appearance, her presence in the backstage area should foreshadow her return is near.

Lynch has not appeared on WWE programming since announcing her pregnancy with fiance Seth Rollins in May. She and Rollins welcomed a baby girl, Roux, in December.

Asuka carried the Raw women's championship for most of Lynch's absence before dropping it to Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania 37. Ripley is currently in a feud with Charlotte Flair that will likely continue into next month's storyline cycle, so it'll be interesting to see when and how Lynch returns.

A prediction: Money in the Bank winner Becky Lynch. I think if you sit silently you can hear WWE printing "Mommy in the Bank" t-shirts. 

John Cena...Also ALSO Nearing WWE return

Cena has been busy filming movies and his upcoming Punisher TV show, but he'll likely soon be scratching his itch for a WWE comeback.

Rumors have persisted about Cena headlining SummerSlam—an event that's taking huge importance within WWE—and Andrew Zarian of the Mat Men podcast reported the company "pivoted" to Cena after initially considering Lesnar for the main event.

Reigns teased a potential match with Cena and/or his cousin, The Rock, during a recent appearance on SportsNation.

"I get this a lot with Dwayne and John Cena as well," Reigns said. "These guys are doing very well for themselves, there's no question about it. I don't know, if I were these guys, I don't know if I would want to come back and deal with me. I'm a problem right now for everybody. So if I were them, I would stay on set. I'd keep pumping out these streaming service movies. Don't come to my ring."

A Cena vs. Reigns match would give Cena a chance to set the record with 17 (acknowledged) world heavyweight championships, breaking his tie with Ric Flair.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

Universal champion Roman Reigns responded to rumors of matches against The Rock and John Cena on Wednesday. 

During an interview with ESPN's SportsNation, Reigns suggested The Rock and Cena should remain in Hollywood rather than testing their might against him:

"Yeah, [a match with The Rock is] like a dream for a lot of our fans, but it ain't a dream for his, you know what I mean?" Reigns said. "I get a lot of this with both Dwayne and John Cena as well. These guys are doing very well for themselves, there's no question about it.

"If I were these guys, I don't know if I'd wanna come back and deal with me. I am a problem right now for everybody. If I were them, I would stay on set and keep pumping out these streaming service movies. Don't come to my ring…is what I would do."

Given that Reigns is far and away WWE's biggest star and the face of the company currently, there has inevitably been speculation about him facing some of the biggest stars from years past.

Reigns vs. The Rock has long been considered a dream match since Reigns and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson are real-life cousins.

Roman's heel character over the past year has seen him refer to himself as "The Tribal Chief" and "The Head of the Table," suggesting that he is the primary provider and the top dog in his family.

That would be the perfect platform for a rivalry between Reigns and The Rock given the latter is the biggest movie star in the world and undoubtedly has greater means to provide for the family than Reigns does.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Marc Middleton) reported recently that WWE "hopes" The Rock will be able to appear at Survivor Series in November, and if he does, it could allow the company to set the stage for Reigns vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 38 in Dallas next year.

Reigns vs. Cena could be a match that happens even sooner if rumors on Cena's WWE return are to be believed.

Cena's absence from WWE hasn't been as long as The Rock's, who hasn't had a match since WrestleMania 32 more than five years ago. Cena hasn't wrestled in over a year, though, with his last match coming against "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36.

It marks Cena's longest absence since his main roster debut in 2002, but there is hope he can return soon since his filming commitments for the HBO Max series Peacemaker have come to an end.

Meltzer (h/t Paul Davis of WrestlingNews.co) reported that WWE is working on a SummerSlam main event of Reigns vs. Cena.

SummerSlam will be even bigger than normal at the Las Vegas Raiders' Allegiant Stadium in Vegas, as it will be one of the first major shows with fans in attendance since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WWE conceivably wants to make SummerSlam feel like a WrestleMania-esque event, and closing it with two of the biggest stars in wrestling over the past 20 years in Reigns and Cena would help accomplish that goal.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

John Cena provided no hints regarding his status for WWE SummerSlam during an interview Saturday.

WWE on Fox posted a clip of Cena speaking with Tara Hitchcock of TaraOnTV.com while promoting the upcoming F9: The Fast Saga movie he stars in:

Hitchcock asked Cena if he had any plans for Aug. 21, which is the date of SummerSlam, to which Cena replied: "Hopefully, enjoying the summer. I don't know."

SummerSlam will emanate from Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, and when Hitchcock asked if Cena would be in Vegas on Aug. 21, Cena said, "What's in Vegas?"

When Hitchcock mentioned SummerSlam, Cena laughed and said, "That was a good way to do that."

WrestleVotes recently reported WWE plans to make SummerSlam a WrestleMania-like event and that "all resources will be tapped into."

The account added that WWE wants Cena vs. Roman Reigns for the Universal Championship to be the SummerSlam main event.

Cena has not wrestled or made an appearance for WWE since last year's WrestleMania 36 in which he lost to "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt in a Firefly Fun House match. That is primarily because Cena has had acting commitments.

Per PWInsider (h/t WrestlingInc.com's Eric Mutter), filming for the HBO Max series Peacemaker in Vancouver, British Columbia, ends July 6, meaning Cena could be available to WWE after that.

As a result, there has been speculation regarding Cena appearing on the July 16 SmackDown in Houston, which will be the first SmackDown in front of fans in well over a year.

That would be the ideal venue to set the stage for Cena vs. Reigns, which is undoubtedly one of the biggest matches WWE could book.

In addition to the fact that Cena and Reigns are huge stars, Cena would be attempting to break a tie with Ric Flair for the most world title wins of all time, which is a record they share with 16.

Listen to Ring Rust Radio for all the hot wrestling topics. Catch the latest episode in the player below (warning: some language NSFW).

There aren't many things WWE could do to elevate this version of Roman Reigns to a new level. 

But John Cena is one of them. 

Reigns is the best thing running in WWE by a mile, if not wrestling as a whole. The long-requested heel turn has managed to surpass expectations in large part because the former Shield leader has been stunningly good at embracing the role. 

From taking down members of his own family to sparring with actual contenders—all while changing his attire, music, in-ring moves and even picking up Paul Heyman—Reigns has comfortably slotted as the final-boss type that used to require a part-time name like Brock Lesnar. 

But thanks to the near-daily nature of WWE's product, in large part thanks to social media, even this version of Reigns could start to grow tiresome. He can only beat up contenders, up-and-comers like Cesaro and different iterations of the Usos for so long. 

That is what makes a fantasy-booking return of Cena so, so appealing. 

Except it apparently doesn't need to be fantasy. Speculation about a Cena return has run rampant for a little while now, and WrestleVotes recently reported that WWE wants this year's SummerSlam to effectively be the 2021 WrestleMania—and potentially with Cena and Reigns in the main event. 

It doesn't get much better than that, right? One could argue Lesnar returning would be just as big, if not bigger because of the Heyman connection. 

But Cena and Reigns go back just as far, and the dynamic might be more interesting than a heel vs. heel main event. If Cena returns as the good guy who says he's seen enough from afar and feels like he needs to stop Reigns for the good of the company, kid fans and so on, it's downright dynamite. 

Plus, think of the promos. Not only can Cena talk with the best of them, but Heyman is there too. The topic of Cena never going heel would take center stage for both characters in the best possible way before a match that fans already know will be incredibly fun to watch with good storytelling. 

And along those lines, yes, the Cena-Reigns angle has been done a million times before. But that's partially what has been so impressive about this version of Reigns—his old feuds have had a fun, new fresh coat of paint thanks to the character change. The same would apply here, perhaps better than any other potential feud. 

We would be remiss not to point out some of the hypocrisy of writers and fans for clamoring for this type of match while also slamming WWE for bringing on part-timers for big events while cutting names like Aleister Black. 

But it's a multifaceted issue. If this is a one-off, no harm, no foul for now. The need to keep this version of Reigns as hot as possible for as long as possible takes precedent, and he's already run through most of the possible big SmackDown-based feuds. WWE can't have him in a match against Cesaro at SummerSlam, especially with fans finally back in the stands and the company touring again. 

The long term is worth considering from that angle, too. Elevating Reigns by having him run through a legend like Cena only makes it that much more impressive when an up-and-comer (think, Big E or a Keith Lee-type) dethrones Reigns down the road. 

And an elevated Reigns has a chance to create the best solo Superstar run we've seen since the Stone Cold and Rock era. If Cena getting ran through encourages the Rock to come back too for an even bigger-headline Mania item, even better. 

This year's SummerSlam is the sort of big-picture event WWE can't afford to botch. Cena returning regardless would garner some goodwill from fans because fans haven't seen him in such a long time. 

His returning in an attempt to stop Reigns—only to come up short after an unforgettable feud and payoff—would be A-plus material as WWE gets back to normal.