The Real Reason WWE Brought Back John Cena to Face Roman Reigns at SummerSlam 2021

Published 08/20/2021, 8:30 AM EDT

SummerSlam 2021 will feature the much-awaited match Roman Reigns vs John Cena. The Tribal Chief is putting his title on the line against The Invisible Man, who returned to WWE to challenge Reigns for the title.

But why?

First, John Cena returned right before the biggest pay-per-view of 2021. In fact, he returned when the fans were finally allowed to return to the arena for live events. Considering Cena’s reach and impact, the primary reason to bring him back was to boost ratings and viewership.

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However, there is another underlying reason WWE brought back Cena to challenge Reigns. Roman Reigns turned heel in 2020 when he gained the WWE Universal Championship at Payback. Since then, he has been the Universal Champion. His run as a heel has seen exceptional success among the audience. His cocky tone when he speaks to his brutal spears in the ring, Reigns has been an asset to the company since his return.

The huge heel that he has become, it would require WWE to put him against a huge babyface for the feud to be interesting. Now, who better of a babyface than John Cena? Therefore, it was quite appropriate to bring Cena back and put him against Roman Reigns. WWE created a classic babyface vs heel situation.

WWE SummerSlam 2021: Venue, Where to Watch, Start Time, and Full Match Card Details

While there were other superstars on the roster who could have gone up against Reigns, WWE needed to focus on attracting the audience to the arena after a break of a year. It seems WWE hit a double bulls-eye with one arrow!

WWE will earn huge revenue from John Cena vs Roman Reigns

Next, more than the match, the buildup primarily engages the audience to the feud. Both Cena and Reigns are absolutely brilliant with the mic. Some promos they have cut during this buildup have been stunning. Whether it was the chants for Cena or the boos for Reigns, their war of words in the ring definitely helped WWE to rake in viewership.

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Finally, John Cena vs Roman Reigns is a money-making match. If the WWE Universe loves one thing, it’s watching two megastars try to tear each other in the ring. If it’s two lethal wrestlers like Cena and Reigns, the fans will tune in for the brutality if not for anything else. This will fetch considerable revenue for the company.

Additionally, if John Cena sticks around after SummerSlam 2021, the feud could continue for a while more, depending on the outcome in Las Vegas.

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Who do you think walks away as champion at SummerSlam 2021? Let us know in the comments below.

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Shuvangi is a senior WWE and AEW author at EssentiallySports. She has over 1000 published WWE articles and also has experience in content operations with Forbes. Having completed her undergraduation from Royal Holloway, University of London, Shuvangi is closely aligned to the fitness industry, having amateur skills levels in tennis and basketball while rowing at a regatta level.

The Real Reason WWE Brought Back John Cena to Face Roman Reigns at SummerSlam 2021

But why?

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WWE will earn huge revenue from John Cena vs Roman Reigns