Home

WWE

3 Possible Ways in Which ‘Host’ John Cena Can Get Physically Involved at WWE Payback 2023

Published 09/02/2023, 10:30 AM EDT

Follow Us

John Cena is back, folks, and he’s brought some good news with him. This week’s Friday Night SmackDown episode saw the 16-time World Champion opening the show. He made his way to the ring and addressed his beloved WWE Universe.

Cena announced that he would be hosting the upcoming WWE PLE, Payback, scheduled to take place on September 2. But is that all? With Cena having multiple targets on his back, there is a chance he might get into some action. Let’s take a little deep dive and explore the possibilities of him getting physically involved in Payback.

John Cena may seek revenge on Austin Theory

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The first person who comes to mind while thinking about Cena potentially getting physical at Payback is Austin Theory. Earlier this year, ‘A-Town Down’ humiliated Cena by besting him in a big victory – courtesy of a low blow – at WrestleMania 39.

Cena may want to return the favor and hand Theory the same disrespect that he handed him five months ago. Well, let’s not forget that Austin Theory is already scheduled to fight the reigning United States Champion Rey Mysterio for his title at Payback.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest WWE stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

via Imago

Maybe this will be a perfect opportunity for ‘The Prototype’ to get his revenge, as the Payback host can cost his old nemesis a title shot at the upcoming event on Saturday.

Cena has a history with Grayson Waller

During Cena’s last appearance, he shared a segment with Grayson Waller that ended with the ‘Arrogant Aussie’ flat on the floor. At Money in the Bank, when Cena came to address the English crowd and advocate WrestleMania for London, Waller interrupted him.

Humiliating Cena with his words, Waller stated that WrestleMania would be far better in Australia (his home country). He then proceeded to attack him but was met with an Attitude Adjustment courtesy of the WWE legend himself.

A few days before Cena’s arrival at SmackDown, Waller took a jibe at ‘Mr. P’ by insinuating that Cena is desperate to get a Waller rub from him, which is why he is coming back to WWE. Just like Theory, Waller is also pretty busy on Saturday night as he has a segment with Cody Rhodes.

The American Nightmare will appear as the special guest for “The Grayson Waller Effect” at the upcoming event on Saturday. Considering the fact that WWE has organized this segment for a PLE guarantees that there will be some drama involved.

Some fans even pointed out that either big mouth Waller may ignite a beef between John Cena and C0dy Rhodes or Cena and Rhodes will gang up on Waller.

Jimmy Uso might show up at Payback

During the opening segment on SmackDown this week, ‘The Doctor of Thuganomics’ kicked off the show by declaring that he will host Payback on Saturday. As he was about to speak further, Jimmy Uso interrupted him. He made his way to the ring and confronted Cena.

 

The two superstars took multiple shots at each other during the segment. Jimmy Uso tried to explain why he betrayed Jey Uso at SummerSlam, while Cena pointed out that Jimmy should have been the one to quit WWE, not Jey.

The situation escalated quickly and Jimmy Uso went for a super kick to Cena’s face, but the latter dodged it. Cena came back with a maneuver of his own and flattened the Samoan twin with an Attitude Adjustment. With Cena handing Jimmy the ultimate disrespect on SmackDown, Jimmy can appear at Payback seeking revenge on him.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

In addition, he can also bring his younger brother, Solo Sikoawho he seemingly aligned with on the blue brand show this week – as a backup to confront Cena.

There are endless other possibilities of how Cena might get involved at Payback on Saturday, but these three seem to be the top runners. For those who don’t know, Cena is literally ‘The Man’ of this PLE. He has fought at Payback three times and came out victorious all three times, holding a 3-0 streak.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Will he be able to continue his streak if he goes up against any of the above-mentioned stars? Who among Theory, Waller, and Jimmy Uso do you think will get physical with undefeated Payback star?

Watch this story – 8 Gym Rules Endorsed by WWE Legend John Cena

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Monika Thapa

1,066Articles

One take at a time

Monika Thapa is a WWE writer at EssentiallySports, who brings a unique blend of fluency in language and passion for the sport to her writing. Having been a fan of WWE since her childhood, Monika writes thought-provoking articles that offer readers deeper insights into the lives of their favorite superstars. She believes that WWE superstars present valuable life lessons that readers can learn from, as seen in her recent piece on Ronda Rousey's workout video.
Show More>

Edited by:

Donna Eva