Top 10 What If Scenarios Involving John Cena

When it comes to someone who has had a career like John Cena, there is perhaps an unending list of “what ifs” which could have changed or impacted either his career, someone else’s career, or even the whole trajectory of WWE as a whole.

RELATED: 5 John Cena Matches Dave Meltzer Overrated (& 5 He Underrated)

He spent the majority of his time at the top of the card as the biggest name of an entire era, winning a mass of World Titles and battling the biggest and best names in the industry. There were sometimes occasions though where something different could have happened, which could have changed the course of history for the company and for Cena.

10 What If: John Cena Got Fired As A Rookie

Much has been made of John Cena’s in-ring ability, and at the start of his run as a rookie, he received his fair share of criticism from others on the roster, namely Brock Lesnar, who voiced his disapproval during a feud against him.

During his first few months, his character simply wasn’t working, and WWE was on the verge of releasing him. That was until he was heard rapping on the tour bus, which just so happened to be heard by Stephanie McMahon. Under her insistence, Cena was given another chance as the Doctor of Thuganomics, which truly kick-started his run with the company. If McMahon hadn’t heard this, then Cena would have been fired, and his career wouldn’t have been a success.

9 What If: WWE Went With Someone Else For His Debut

John Cena’s debut is one of the more iconic in history, and it earned him a consistent spot on the main roster. However, the decision to have him debut was very much a last-minute decision.

There was a plan to debut someone, but WWE didn’t pick Cena until late on. If Cena didn’t have this classic debut, then his career could have been different, though, with his talents, he would have likely found a way to the top regardless.

8 What If: John Cena Recovered From His Injury On Schedule

At the 2008 Royal Rumble, John Cena shockingly returned from an injury that should have kept him out for many more months. This created one of the best Rumble moments of all time, with him winning the match too.

If Cena didn’t have superhuman tendencies in terms of recovery, then the “what if” of this scenario would have seen him just return later down the line, likely win the Rumble the following year, and continue where he left off. However, it would have prevented fans from seeing an all-time great return.

7 What If: John Cena Beat Ric Flair’s World Title Record

When John Cena was wrestling full-time, most fans were against him beating the 16 World Title reign record held by Ric Flair. Cena would equal the record in 2017 but hasn’t won a top title since, and likely never will.

With all the bad press that has come out against Flair recently, and with the new-found respect fans have had for Cena now that he has stepped away from wrestling full-time, it would have been a good decision for WWE to give Cena one more title reign. It would have received backlash initially, but later it would have been accepted.

6 What If: The Undertaker And John Cena Fought At WrestleMania Earlier

A legit dream match WWE held back on for too long was a WrestleMania clash between The Undertaker and John Cena. They just so happened to steer clear of one another until WrestleMania 34 when they were both part-timers, with the match ending in just a couple of minutes in a squash.

RELATED: John Cena’s 10 Best WWE PPV Main Events, Ranked

If they faced off at the show years before, then there is every chance that WWE would have booked Cena to end the streak. In fact, it would have perhaps been more likely than The Undertaker winning given Vince McMahon’s track record of booking Cena. This would have been a hugely unpopular decision - arguably more than Lesnar eventually ending it, so it is probably for the best that this didn’t happen.

5 What If: John Cena Put Over The Nexus

At SummerSlam 2010, John Cena’s burial of The Nexus began, with it carrying on until the end of the year. If WWE booked The Nexus to win at SummerSlam, then the burial would have come later on.

Cena was the hero, so he would have overcome them eventually, even if it took over a year. Not every member of The Nexus would have received a big push either, so at some point, their momentum would have been ruined anyway.

4 What If: Bray Wyatt Defeated John Cena At WrestleMania 30

On too many occasions has John Cena been presented as the underdog babyface against a top heel, with him emerging victorious. When he came up against the young and promising Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 30, fans were praying for a change from the norm.

However, WWE had Cena win. This started the ball rolling for the years of bad booking with Wyatt, whose aura kept getting damaged. If he had won here, then it would have catapulted him to huge heights that could have kept him at the top of the card.

3 What If: Brock Lesnar Defeated John Cena In His Return

In 2012, Brock Lesnar made his huge return to WWE, going up against John Cena. In a baffling decision, Cena won the match, harming Lesnar’s momentum immediately.

Had Lesnar won, then it would have meant so much more for someone to defeat him for the first time, and his ending of Undertaker’s streak would have been perhaps more accepted too.

2 What If: CM Punk Was Added To John Cena Vs The Rock 2

John Cena and The Rock had a rematch at WrestleMania 29, though no one wanted to see a repeat of their huge clash the year prior. This was due to The Rock ending CM Punk’s record WWE Title reign, with the two taking spots from others.

RELATED: 10 Most Incredible Wrestling Spots Of John Cena's Career

CM Punk, after a great year, deserved to be included in this match. It would have made it even bigger, and even if Punk lost, being in the main event may have kept him happy enough to remain with the company (though in the end, the relationship between Punk and WWE was so fragile, it would have just prolonged the inevitable).

1 What If: John Cena Turned Heel

This is arguably one of the biggest “what ifs” in wrestling. Given how the crowd was so against Cena for so long, it is a huge surprise that WWE didn’t try Cena as a heel at least once. This would have been on the level of Hulk Hogan joining the nWo, and it would have breathed new life into the product.

If Cena had gone to the bad side, then WWE could have naturally built up a new top face to overcome him, and it would have no doubt benefited the company overall from an excitement perspective. Alas, no one will ever know what could have been had Cena turned heel.