Similar to what happened last year, John Cena’s WrestleMania plans are up in the air - in kayfabe anyway. There were several big names rumoured to be battling the 16-time world champion at WrestleMania 33 last year, but he ended up facing The Miz and Maryse alongside Nikki Bella in a mixed tag team match before proposing.

This year, WWE has done a decent job of playing up the fact that Cena might not even make it to WrestleMania despite being the star that has carried the company on his shoulders for so long.

WRESTLEMANIA REQUEST

Obviously, though, we know there’s no way WWE is going to keep him off an event of this magnitude.

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While he’s currently preparing to face AJ Styles, Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler and Baron Corbin in a Six-Pack challenge for the WWE Championship at Fastlane, the expectation is that he’s going to finally meet The Undertaker at the Grandest Stage of Them All which many are considering a ‘now or never’ situation.

However, there has been speculation over the last few weeks regarding Cena’s potential opponent in New Orleans next month, with several outlets claiming that Cena had requested WWE to put him in a match against Rey Mysterio, who returned in the Royal Rumble but is yet to sign a new deal with WWE. In fact, even Samoa Joe was thrown in as a name Cena apparently requested.

CENA'S RESPONSE

Speaking to Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated - who was the source of the original story - at the Nickelodeon 2018 Upfront presentation, Cena shot down talk that he asked for a specific match at WrestleMania 34 in the form of Mysterio.

He said: “I have never asked for a WrestleMania opponent.

“If you look at what I’ve done in my WrestleMania entirety, from coming out at Safeco Field in a sweatsuit rapping to two cardboard cutouts, to working with established superstars to working with rookies, to being fortunate enough to use the platform to ask a beautiful young lady to marry me.

“A lot of our performers get frustrated and ask, ‘What can you do for me?’ I just ask, ‘What can I do for you?’ They tell me, and I do it to the best of my ability. Even if it’s no one.”

Cena was refusing to budge from his current storyline, though, as he tried to make people believe that there’s a genuine chance that he won’t make it to WrestleMania.

He added: “What a great story it would be for me to miss and have to buy a ticket.

“The year doesn’t stop at WrestleMania, we do RAW the next night. Now imagine if this stalwart, this statue of the WWE now has to look inside himself and ask, ‘Do I still have it?’ after being left out of the biggest show of the year.

“Don’t put this past Vince. Vince is extremely smart, and the reason he is so successful is his ability to see beyond what is immediately in front of him. A two-year or a three-year play would be smart.”

While Cena might not have asked to face Mysterio, it’s clear that WWE isn’t going to keep him off the card.

What do you make of John Cena’s response? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.

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