As the wrestling world says goodbye to 2022 and looks ahead to the new year, speculation about WWE WrestleMania is kicking into full gear. The two night event in Los Angeles, CA is set to be a star-studded event, and while no matches have been officially announced ahead of the Royal Rumble, fans eagerly await news on appearances from Dwayne Johnson, Logan Paul, and 16-time World Champion John Cena.
Speculation also abounds about Cody Rhodes, who has been out of action since suffering a torn pectoral muscle ahead of WrestleMania Backlash. The star recently appeared in an interview segment on the last WWE Raw of 2022, saying that he would be returning “soon.”
John Cena Vs. Cody Rhodes Was Pitched During Vince McMahon’s Regime
According to a new report from Fightful Select, an appearance from John Cena at WWE WrestleMania 39 is still uncertain, though discussions about his potential WrestleMania opponent have shifted from a proposed bout with Austin Theory to the possibility of him facing Logan Paul, who has expressed interest in facing the 16-time World Champion. Multiple top stars have also been pitching to face Cena as far back as July of 2022.
The report also notes that any potential WrestleMania plans that were being discussed under Vince McMahon‘s regime are off the table after Triple H came into power following McMahon’s retirement. While the former WWE Chairman was still in power, it was assumed that Cody Rhodes would challenge for the WWE Championship inside SoFi Stadium, but that proposition was only speculation and has not been confirmed.
Fightful Select goes on to reveal that there were also pitches for Cody Rhodes to face John Cena at WrestleMania during Vince McMahon’s regime, but those discussions have stalled since Triple H took over creative control of WWE.
As the year came to a close, it seemed that 2022 would mark the first year since his WWE debut that he wouldn’t compete inside the squared circle. However, he kept his yearly streak intact when he teamed with Kevin Owens to defeat Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn on the most recent episode of WWE SmackDown.