We noted earlier that there were several WrestleMania matches already mapped out but we did not mention what WWE had planned for John Cena. Cena was originally supposed to face The Undertaker but those plans have changed and Taker will be facing someone else on the show. If you want to know who that person is then click here.
In this week’s Wrestling Observer newsletter, Dave Meltzer said that he’s heard that Samoa Joe ‘s name was pitched within WWE but there has not been any confirmation on if Vince McMahon has approved that match. Joe is scheduled to come up to the main roster soon and he is said to be getting a prominent spot at Mania so that would make sense.
Joe and Cena have a history that dates back to their days in WWE’s developmental system, Ultimate Pro Wrestling, in 2001. They trained and wrestled against each other during that time so they have that footage in the vault that they can use to help build their feud. Last month, WWE put up a video that talked about their bond from their early days. I don’t know if that was put up as a teaser for an upcoming feud or if it was a coincidence but the timing is interesting.
There have also been rumors of an AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon match. If they are indeed going to do that match then they may have already planted the seeds for it when Styles complained after McMahon announced that Styles would have to defend the WWE Championship against six other competitors at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. If Styles loses the title at that show then I can see him taking out his anger against McMahon and that would be the official start of their feud. I will stress that McMahon vs. Styles is rumored and it has not been reported as a definite match yet but it makes sense since most of the top talent are already slotted for other matches.
News from The Wrestling Observer website was used in this post. For more on this story please visit WrestlingObserver.com. Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez’ WrestlingObserver.com is the leading source for professional wrestling news. Click here for subscription information. Members get exclusive access to insider news from Dave Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez, daily audio shows, breaking news audio, the Wrestling Observer newsletter, newsletter archives, thousands of hours of archived radio shows, and much more.
